The polar vortex is making itself felt already, and winter doesn’t arrive until December 21st.
Following a mild El Nino winter last year, Canadians were warned this winter would be very different.
Now an arctic ridge of high pressure is bringing a plunge in temperatures as it moves across the country.
In south western Manitoba, overnight temperatures around –30 C along with winds up to 15 km/hr led to extreme wind chill values of –40 or colder on Sunday morning, according to Environment Canada.
A 53 year-old woman froze to death that night in Winnipeg.
Eastern Canada is getting the warnings to prepare for the extreme cold over the weekend.
David Phillips, Environment Canada senior climatologist, told CBC News it’s all part of climate change.
“It’s hard to kick the cold air out. It’s like molasses — it’s thick, it’s heavy, it’s dense, it hugs the ground,” Phillips said. “So when it becomes entrenched, well, you get that pattern set up and it just doesn’t move, you see. You get day after day and week after week and then, my God, month after month with the same kind of flow.
In the wake of a snowstorm that tracked over eastern Canada in the last few days, it looks like a white Christmas may be in store. And ski hill operators are thrilled.
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