The Chatham-Kent Public Health Unit and Environment Canada are warning the public about the bitterly cold temperatures across the region.
The Chatham-Kent Medical Officer of Health, Dr. David Colby has issued a cold weather alert for today and overnight tonight. Based on Environment Canada’s forecast, air temperatures are predicted to fall as low as -15°C today, February 23rd with a wind chill of -32°C overnight tonight.
A Cold Weather Alert goes into effect when Environment Canada:
– predicts a temperature of -15°C or lower, without wind chill
– issues a wind chill warning for outdoor activity
– predicts extreme weather conditions, such as a blizzard or ice storm
Environment Canada has an on-going extreme cold warning in effect, as a prolonged period of very cold wind chills is expected.
Bitterly cold arctic air has returned to Southern Ontario. Moderate northwesterly winds combined with very cold, possibly record setting minimum temperatures are producing extreme wind chills of minus 30 to minus 40 this morning.
People planning to be outdoors should dress appropriately and exercise caution. Exposed skin may freeze in as little as 10 minutes.
Wind chills will slowly improve somewhat this afternoon as temperatures rise for a few hours. However wind chills in many areas will dip back to near minus 30 again tonight as this frigid arctic air mass prevails over the region.
