A mass of frigid air from the Arctic has swept across Canada, causing temperatures to plummet and wind chills to reach -40 Celsius or lower. Meteorologists explain this phenomenon as a southward meander of cold air, known colloquially as a polar vortex. Extreme cold warnings are in place across the country, prompting officials to advise against non-essential travel and urging people to take precautions against the biting cold.
A mass of cold air that meandered south from the Arctic has sent temperatures plunging with wind chills making it feel like -40 Celsius or colder across parts of Canada from New Brunswick to eastern Alberta.
Extreme cold warnings are in effect across the country, with temperatures feeling like -40 C in parts of Alberta, -45 C in Saskatchewan, and down to -50 C in parts of Manitoba and northern Ontario. January has been colder than normal over the southern Prairies and southwestern Ontario, but warmer than normal over much of northern Quebec and parts of Nunavut, Kimbell said.
Several schools across the Prairies and the coast of Atlantic Canada were closed because of cold weather and snow. Parts of rural Manitoba shut schools because the wind chill in some places felt as cold as -50 C. In Regina, the wind chill dipped to -47 C but schools in the city remained open; however, bus service was cancelled.
COLD WAVE ARCTIC AIR POLAR VORTEX CANADA WINTER WEATHER
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