Stay warm, Hamilton — the city will endure a "prolonged period of very cold wind chills" this week, according to Environment Canada. A frigid mass of arctic air and strong winds is resulting in wind chill values that are making it feel like -30 C. That's expected to last through Friday morning. "Bitterly cold arctic air has moved into Southern Ontario overnight," Environment Canada said in an extreme cold warning. Environment Canada is warning that the temperature will plummet to -24 C overnight, with the wind chill values making it feel more like -38 C. "Cover up. Frostbite can develop within minutes on exposed skin, especially with wind chill." In most cases, frostbite can be treated fairly easily, with no long-term effects. How to identify and treat frostbite CBC News Manitoba 0:59 Bitter cold can cause frostbite in just minutes. Here's how to recognize the warning signs and treat them. 0:59 But it can also lead to serious injury, including permanent numbness or tingling, joint stiffness, or muscle weakness. In extreme cases, it can lead to amputation. Environment Canada is also warning people to keep their pets inside. The forecast is calling for warmer temperatures on Saturday, with a low of -3 C.<doc-sep>Send this page to someone via email As Ottawa limps across the finish line of its snowiest January on record, cherry blossoms are blooming at the legislature in coastal Victoria, B.C. Millions of Canadians were hiding out this week under extreme cold warnings stretching across the map, even as some East Coast cities enjoyed moderate temperatures. According to experts, these co-existing extremes have been predicted for some time, and they’re likely here to stay. “This is the kind of thing people have been predicting for years,” Konrad Gajewski, a professor of geography and environment at the University of Ottawa, said. “This kind of pattern of more alternation, more extremes, both in terms of warm and cold conditions is what we’re expecting for the future.” Story continues below advertisement Central Canada’s cold snap comes from the oscillating upper wind patterns of the jet stream, pushing the cold air down from the north with the polar vortex. At the same time, the large “waves” in the wind patterns push some warm air north, explaining comparatively warm temperatures on the coasts. WATCH: Polar vortex brings frigid weather to much of Canada – but relief is coming soon 1:47 Polar vortex brings frigid weather to much of Canada – but relief is coming soon Polar vortex brings frigid weather to much of Canada – but relief is coming soon – Jan 30, 2019 The exact role climate change plays in the pattern’s changes is an ongoing discussion in the scientific community, but a common belief says it’s the result of a warming Arctic. “It’s thought that as the Arctic warms up because the ice is melting back, we’re going to have more of a situation where you have what we call ‘waviness’ in the polar vortex,” Gajewski said. This “waviness” in the upper wind’s pattern could be carrying cold further and further south into south and central Canada, and pushing warm air further north along the coast. Story continues below advertisement Atmospheric physics professor Kent Moore at the University of Toronto says the striking weather patterns show how the world’s climate system is intimately coupled, and how changes in the coldest and warmest regions can be felt in central Canadian cities. As an example, Moore pointed to the theory that the waves in upper wind patterns are moving slower, with larger amplitudes as a possible result of warming in the Arctic. “The largest changes in the climate are occurring in the Arctic and some would say, ‘Who cares? I live in mid-latitudes, why should I care about that stuff?”’ Moore said. “The Earth is kind of a small place and so things that happen in the Arctic don’t stay in the Arctic.” This interconnectedness of the world’s climate system also explains the impacts from El Nino systems on Canada, Moore said. David Atkinson, a climate professor at the University of Victoria, said the jet stream’s behaviour could also make the increasingly frequent, intense storms on the East Coast gain even more strength. WATCH: When temperatures drop, these things just stop 1:45 Extreme cold: When temperatures drop, these things just stop Extreme cold: When temperatures drop, these things just stop – Jan 24, 2019 “If the air is kind of moving apart, it allows surface air to rise more easily,” Atkinson said. “That helps a storm to work, storms depend on rising air.” Story continues below advertisement Gajewski said the arrival of long-predicted weather patterns means it’s time for all levels of government to seriously plan for changes that are already hitting Canada in the form of sweltering heat waves in the summer and record cold in the winter. This could mean more snow-clearing and flood response on the municipal level and global warming mitigation efforts across the board. In Ottawa, Gajewski pointed to some ongoing local efforts like more bicycle lanes and efforts to plow some of them in the winter. “A lot of it would just be common sense. It’s going to get hotter in the summers and we’re going to get perhaps more snow, more rain, more extreme conditions, more floods,” Gajewski said. “Cities have to be planned to deal with that kind of thing.” For cities like Ottawa, which just completed its twelfth straight day of round-the-clock plowing, people shouldn’t plan to retire their shovels any time soon. “We’re going to have to shovel more often.”<doc-sep>Send this page to someone via email Extreme cold has gripped much of Canada thanks to a hovering polar vortex. Large swaths of the country are under extreme cold alerts. Stretching from Saskatchewan through Manitoba and northern regions of Ontario and into Quebec, temperatures dipped south of -50C with the windchill Wednesday. And it’s not over yet. “This polar vortex is expanding out to include more of North America on Thursday,” said Global News chief meteorologist Anthony Farnell. WATCH: Winnipeg’s freezing cold temperatures are colder than Mars 0:52 Winnipeg’s freezing cold temperatures are colder than Mars Winnipeg’s freezing cold temperatures are colder than Mars – Jan 30, 2019 “For areas downwind around the Great Lakes, snow squalls will continue for the rest of the week with some areas picking up close to a metre of snow. Winds are whipping the snow around and causing near-zero visibility on roads to the northeast and south of Toronto.” Story continues below advertisement View image in full screen Global News. Global News A polar vortex is a mass of freezing air that typically spins over the North Pole. It has shifted south, bringing frigid temperatures to a large area of North America. “The polar vortex exists all year long, but mostly resides over the North Pole,” said Farnell. “When the clockwise wind flow in this large swirl of cold weakens, the circulation can be disrupted and split. When this occurs a section can travel south and bring record cold and wind to large areas that typically don’t deal with those temperatures.” WATCH: Extreme cold warnings for much of Canada 2:35 Extreme cold warnings for much of Canada Extreme cold warnings for much of Canada – Jan 30, 2019 Canada experienced similar polar vortex-induced chills back in 2014 and 2015. There is evidence to suggest that these severe weather events will become more frequent due to climate change. Story continues below advertisement “There is inconclusive evidence [that] a more frequently displaced polar vortex is a sign of climate change, which causes more blocking over the Arctic,” said Farnell. Meanwhile, in B.C. the weather is positively balmy, with flowers sprouting. Areas of Canada’s East Coast enjoyed above-seasonal temperatures Wednesday, hovering above zero. However, Farnell predicts a change of fortunes is on the way. WATCH: Polar vortex strikes U.S. Midwest, causing ‘life-threatening’ cold 1:01 Polar vortex strikes U.S. Midwest, causing ‘life-threatening’ cold Polar vortex strikes U.S. Midwest, causing ‘life-threatening’ cold – Jan 30, 2019 “The good news is that when the polar vortex retreats north again, as is forecast this weekend, it will take the cold with it,” said Farnell. Story continues below advertisement “Above-normal temperatures and even rain are expected next week in many of the cities that are in the deep freeze right now.” Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Above-normal temperatures and even rain are expected next week in many of the cities that are in the deep freeze right now." View image in full screen Global News. Global News Ottawa and the GTA are forecast to see temperatures above zero next week. Winnipeg’s deep freeze should see a relative reprieve with temperatures around -14C over the weekend. Calgary, which enjoyed temperatures of 6C midday on Wednesday, should see the thermostat plunge to -20C by Sunday. WATCH: Why does cold weather kill your phone battery? 0:32 Why does cold weather kill your phone battery? Why does cold weather kill your phone battery? – Jan 25, 2019<doc-sep>With temperatures as low as –36 C in Yellowknife, Environment Canada issued an extreme cold warning on Sunday afternoon through to Monday morning, and Canadians continued the tradition of one-upping each other's chilly cities. Last Friday, the City of Toronto issued an extreme cold warning for –8 C, which prompted a cheeky "Aww that's cute" response from a Winnipeg Twitter account. Manitoba has seen extreme cold warnings for days, with wind chills making it feel like –53 and daytime temperatures around –30 C. But by Yellowknife's standards, Toronto's weather seems almost pleasant. "I think this [is] the coldest place I've been in my life," exclaimed Jessie Zou, who was visiting the territory's capital from Vancouver, or as she describes it: "The warmest city in Canada." She says the coldest day she's experienced in British Columbia is a balmy –6 C, a full 30 degrees warmer than Monday morning in Yellowknife. She was glad to be going home to Vancouver on Monday. Jessie Zou was visiting Yellowknife from Vancouver. She experienced an extreme cold warning in Yellowknife Monday, on the last day of her trip. (Andrew Pacey/CBC) Patrick Jacobson also hails from Vancouver, and has been in the North for four years. To him, there's no comparing B.C. 's weather to Yellowknife's. "You don't hit extreme temperatures like this, but [in Vancouver] you do kind of get that chilled through to your bone kind of sensation," Jacobson said. The extreme cold criteria is based on climatology and people's capacity to adapt to extreme cold. - Matt MacDonald, Environment Canada "There's a bit of a survivor mentality [in Yellowknife], it kind of feels good to get through a winter up here… It feels like something that Canadians should be used to." Jacobson said he had "a bit of a chuckle" at an extreme cold warning issued for Vancouver on Jan. 15, when it was about –1 C outside. 'It kind of feels good to get through a winter up here,' said Patrick Jacobson. (Gabriela Panza-Beltrandi/CBC) How do cold warnings work? For Trisha Paradis, who's lived in the North for almost 15 years, Monday was just a typical day. She has trouble understanding what prompts some weather warnings. "The ones that I don't understand [are] when they put in Edmonton it's –20 with the –25 wind chill and they get an extreme cold warning, and we're at –40-something, no extreme cold warnings." "Our extreme cold warnings are based on a specific criteria for different locations," explained Matt MacDonald, a spokesperson for Environment Canada. For Trisha Paradis, Monday morning's –36 C weather was just a typical January day in Yellowknife. (Gabriela Panza-Beltrandi/CBC) For example, in Yellowknife Environment Canada issues an extreme cold warning when the wind chill or air temperature drops to –50 for at least two hours; on B.C. 's south coast it's –35, and for Toronto it's –30. "The extreme cold criteria is based on climatology and people's capacity to adapt to extreme cold," MacDonald said. As long as we dress for it, it's not a big deal. - Trisha Paradis , Yellowknife resident However, he said sometimes cities will issue cold weather warnings, especially if they have a large homeless population. Yellowknife's overnight temperature drops below zero 225 days a year, according to Environment Canada. By comparison, Vancouver sees an average of 40 nights a year drop below zero. Of course, this week's cold weather also isn't out of the ordinary for this time of year. The average low for Jan. 28 is –30.4 C. It's supposed to warm up to a comfortable high of –26 C in Yellowknife on Tuesday. By Thursday, the city is forecasted to be back to a low of –37 C. Paradis has advice for getting through the cold. "Get a little bit more bundled up, then we're fine... as long as we dress for it, it's not a big deal."<doc-sep>
N-n-not to put too f-f-fine a point on it, but Canada is c-c-c-cold right now. From central Saskatchewan to eastern Quebec and through much of Nunavut, extreme cold warnings from Environment Canada advise people to be mindful of the "extremely dangerous" conditions, frostbite and the safety of their pets. The bitter cold is the result of a split in the polar vortex that has allowed temperatures to plunge much farther south in North America than normal. "Bitterly cold arctic air has moved into southern Ontario overnight," the warning for Toronto says. "Overnight low temperatures near minus 20 degrees Celsius combined with strong southwest winds have resulted in wind-chill values in the range of minus 30 to minus 35." Windsor, Ont., is having its coldest Jan. 30 on record, with a low of –21.7 C Wednesday at 7 a.m. ET. The previous record was –20.6 C, set in 1951. And those are two of the warmer spots under warning. Wind-chill values of –50 and colder At 7 a.m. CT, it was –40 C in Winnipeg and felt like –50 with the wind chill. Dozens of schools in the province were closed due to the extreme cold, and CAA Manitoba sent out a service alert explaining it was temporarily stopping house calls and focusing on people who may be in an unsafe situation, such as at the side of a road. Extreme weather and the polar vortex: CBC meteorologist Johanna Wagstaffe took your questions: All school bus service in Winnipeg was cancelled for Thursday due to the frigid weather. In Toronto, the UP Express train that connects Pearson International Airport to downtown stopped running late Wednesday due to "weather related equipment issues." In Saskatchewan, Manitoba and northern Ontario, forecasters are warning of wind-chill values of –50 or –55, and in parts of Nunavut –60. "Wind-chill values of this magnitude are relatively rare for this region and are extremely dangerous," the warning in several northern Ontario regions says. Extreme cold can cause hypothermia and frostbite, and the warnings tell people to watch for symptoms related to the conditions: shortness of breath, chest pain, muscle pain and weakness, numbness, and colour change in fingers and toes. The weather agency also says that frostbite can occur within minutes. How to identify and treat frostbite CBC News Manitoba 0:59 Bitter cold can cause frostbite in just minutes. Here's how to recognize the warning signs and treat them. 0:59 The warnings also offer a word of caution about pets: "If it's too cold for you to stay outside, it's too cold for your pet to stay outside." But not everyone is staying indoors. And some tobogganing kids got some fun help with the worst part of sledding. Worth a quick watch: A little help on the hill CBC News 0:37 A parent comes up with a great way to get the sled back up the hill after the kids have gone down. 0:37 Cold will linger In most of the affected areas, the weather isn't likely to warm up — relatively — until Friday or Saturday. "We have this air — you know, the infamous polar vortex, if you will — or this arctic air that has been just sitting," Marie-Eve Giguere, a warning-preparedness meteorologist with Environment Canada, told CBC Thunder Bay on Tuesday. "It always wiggles around the North Pole in the winter, and now it just so happens that it digs over Ontario. "It's not going anywhere," she continued. "In meteorology, we say we need a kicker [to displace it]. The weather pattern is sort of locked in a position, and then it just spins and spins and spins over the same area." Mail delivery suspended The same arctic deep freeze has also enveloped the U.S. Midwest, where at least 12 deaths have been linked to extremely cold weather. The frosty temperatures forced widespread closures of schools, businesses and government offices, and prompted the U.S. Postal Service to take the rare step of suspending mail delivery to a wide swath of the region. More than 1,600 flights have been cancelled at airports in Chicago, where temperatures of –30.5 C were recorded early Wednesday. Extreme weather conditions prompted Amtrak to cancel all trains into and out of Chicago on Wednesday and most services to or from Chicago on Thursday. Jillian Hansen, a student at the University of Minnesota, walks on campus wrapped up in an oversized scarf amid snowflurries Tuesday.