If it was freezing in St. Paul on Wednesday night as the mercury dropped to -39.6C, it was downright frigid in the village of Myrnam, about 40 kilometres to the south.
Not even the spotlight of being Alberta's coldest community for two days running could heat up the thermometers on Tuesday and Wednesday nights in the community of about 350 people. According to Environment Canada, Myrnam temperatures were at a low of -41.2C on Tuesday and -42.6 on Wednesday. The village in the agricultural bread-basket of northeastern Alberta was making frozen dougballs — and was only 0.3 degrees from being the nation's coldest place on Wednesday. That chilly honour went to Rea Point in Nunavut, a tiny island community in the middle of the Arctic Sea about 1,900 kilometres north of Myrnam.
Other chilly temps recorded across the Lakeland on Wednesday night included -37.6 in Cold Lake and -38.1 in Lac La Biche.
Around the globe, the coldest place on earth on Wednesday night according to global temperature reports, was Verkhoyansk in north central Russia, where it bottomed out at -52C.
The cold snap over most of Alberta for the last week is expected to lift for a few days to start 2022 with the Environment Canada forecast at www.lakelandtoday.ca calling for temperatures in the Lakeland areas to warm overnight on New Year's Eve, hitting the low to mid minus teens by the late morning of New Year's Day. The slight warm-up is only expected to last two days before temperatures return to the mid to high minus 20s.
Hot and Cold
Just for fun — and to work those frozen face muscles with a smile or a grimace — want to know the world's hot spots as Lakeland temperatures fall under another Extreme Cold Weather Warning from Environment Canada? Even if you don't want to know, we're going to tell you anyway. If it makes your blood boil, that's good. Anything to get warm.
Pontianak in Indonesia was Wednesday's global hot spot at 33C ... but it was overcast. Not much better in hot-spot number two, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania in eastern Africa at 32C ... but partly cloudy.
Notice how we tried to carefully craft the last paragraph, so the latest weather warning was easier to handle. But yes, the Lakeland region is again in under an Extreme Cold Weather Warning from Environment Canada. The latest in a series of warnings through the holiday season was issued early Thursday morning.
Weather Warning Issued Dec. 30
Environment Canada
4:37 AM MST Thursday 30 December 2021
Extreme Cold Warning in effect for:
- Co. of St. Paul near Ashmont St. Vincent and St. Lina
- Co. of St. Paul near Elk Point and St. Edouard
- Co. of St. Paul near Lindbergh and Frog Lake
- Co. of St. Paul near St. Paul and Lafond
- Improvement District 349 including Cold Lake Air Weapons Range
- Lac La Biche Co. near Fork Lake
- Lac La Biche Co. near Heart Lake
- Lac La Biche Co. near Lac La Biche and Square Lake
- Lac La Biche Co. near Lakeland Prov. Park and Rec. Area
- Lac La Biche Co. near Plamondon Hylo and Avenir
- M.D. of Bonnyville near Beaverdam
- M.D. of Bonnyville near Bonnyville Ardmore and Kehewin Res.
- M.D. of Bonnyville near Cold Lake and City of Cold Lake
- M.D. of Bonnyville near Fishing Lake Smt
- M.D. of Bonnyville near Glendon and Moose Lake
- M.D. of Bonnyville near La Corey Wolf Lake and Truman
- Smoky Lake Co. near Buffalo Lake and Kikino Smts
- Smoky Lake Co. near Vilna Saddle Lake and Whitefish Lake
Extremely cold wind chill values near -40 will continue today. Over southern Alberta windchill values will moderate slightly through the day.
Tonight, extremely cold wind chill values between -40 and -55 are expected throughout much of Alberta.Risks are greater for young children, older adults, people with chronic illnesses, people working or exercising outdoors, and those without proper shelter.
Cover up. Frostbite can develop within minutes on exposed skin, especially with wind chill.
Keep emergency supplies in your vehicle such as extra blankets and jumper cables.
If it's too cold for you to stay outside, it's too cold for your pet to stay outside.
