Photo: Shaun Penner

By Shane Clausing

cold weather

Arctic cold to settle into Grande Prairie & Alberta this weekend

Feb 4, 2021 | 1:30 PM

Over the next week, most of Alberta could be colder than much of Nunavut.

As we head into the weekend, temperatures across the province, including the Peace Country, will begin to plummet.

The Grande Prairie area will see temperatures reach highs in the -25 to -30 degree range this weekend, while overnight lows will drop down to the -35 to -40 degree range.

Those temperatures don’t include the wind chill, which could make it feel like minus 50 outside on some nights.

“We’re dealing with an area of cold air sinking south from the Arctic,” said Sara Hoffman with Environment Canada.

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“It’s caused by a ridge of high pressure at the surface, and we call it an Artic ridge because it is such cold air. We’ve already got extreme cold warnings out for the northern parts of the province, and that’s just going to sink south and entrench itself in Alberta on Sunday.”

Hoffman tells EverythingGP the cold weather will stay with us for a while and it won’t just dominate Alberta.

“This will dominate much of western Canada. This is a very large cold air outbreak and we’re expecting it to last well into next week and there is potential for it to last into next weekend as well.”

While temperatures will reach into the -30s and -40s, it doesn’t look like we’ll be breaking any records in the Swan City.

With a long stretch of cold weather coming, Hoffman says those travelling by car or just staying home, should be prepared for the elements they may face.

“In these extreme cold temperatures limit the time outside and limit the skin exposed to the cold, frostbite could happen in a matter of seconds with temperatures this cold.”

“If you have to travel any long distances at all by vehicle, make sure that you have a winter survival kit in your car with a blanket and multiple candles if you ever become stranded. If you were to ever become stranded stay with your vehicle until help arrives.”