Risk of frostbite within minutes as dangerously cold temperatures blanket Manitoba

Extreme cold warnings cover virtually all of Manitoba on Monday morning, as the province plunges into dangerously cold temperatures, prompting several school closures.

An Arctic ridge of high pressure combined with winds of 10 to 20 km/h will make it feel like it's between 40 and 50, Environment Canada says.

This ultra-cold weather is expected to last the rest of the week, with temperatures averaging below 30 C, and nothing above 20 C, saidCBC meteorologist John Sauder.

But by next Monday, it will start to get a little bit more manageable, with temperatures between 10 C to 20 C,he said.

"A normal daytime high by that time would be around 8 C. So still very cold, it'sjust not dangerous cold like it is this week," he said.

Cold snap follows above-average temperatures

The extreme cold comes after an unusually balmy stretch through December and January, which are normally the coldest monthsof the year, said Dave Phillips, senior climatologist with Environment Canada.

In Winnipeg, the average temperature was six degrees warmer than normal in January at10.4C, compared to the 30-year average of 16.4 C.

"I think that's what's sort of characteristic about this. It's not record-breaking. We're not seeing new all-time records being established in every little location in Canada, but it is the first kind of prolonged cold wave of the winter," Phillips said.

Ironically, while Canadian provinces in the south experience their coldest temperatures of this winter, parts of the north are seeing temperatures in the low negatives. The daytime high in Iqaluit was 3 C.

Warm air that builds up over the Atlantic and Pacific oceans has moved north, pushing the cold arctic air down over North America, Phillips said.

Skin freezes

The coldest part of the province is Roblin, where it's 35 C, Environment Canada says. Churchill was actually the warmest part of Manitoba earlier Monday morning, at 23 C.

When temperatures are this cold, it doesn't take much wind at all to make it feel like 40or colder, and frostbite can happen on exposed skin in less than five minutes, Sauder said.

"Now, keep in mind that if your skin is completely covered up, you're OK. You should be fine," he said.

"But what's dangerous about weather like this is that there are people out there who don't have the means to get shelter or have the right kind of clothing to cover their skin."

As cold as it is right now, it's not anything Winnipeg and Manitoba haven't seen before. In fact, the record low for Winnipeg at this time of year was set over 100 years ago, at 43.9 C in 1899, Sauder said.

Several schools in the province have cancelled classes and buses Monday morning.

There are closures in:

• Fort La Bosse School Division.
• Park West School Division .
• Prairie Rose School Division.
• Prairie Spirit School Division.
• Border Land School Division.
• Evergreen School Division.
• Interlake School Division.
• Red River Valley School Division.
• Division ScolaireFranco-Manitobaine.
• Sunrise School Division has cancelled classes for the day, but staff are still expected to report to school for work.
• Western School Division has cancelled classes for students but staff are still expected to report to work.

Schools are open in Seven Oaks School Division and Louis Riel School Division. However, buses in the Louis Riel School Divison are about an hour behind schedule.

It's a non-instructional day for the Winnipeg School Division, Pembina Trails School Division, St. James-Assiniboia School Divisionand River East Transcona School Division.

Calvin Christian School has cancelled its rural bus shuttle,but itsshuttle for Winnipeg students is still running.

The Manitoba Families Department has cancelled transportation for adults who participate in Community Living DisAbility Services day programs in Winnipegdue to the extreme cold.

However, organizations providing day programs are being asked to maintain a small staff in case clients can attend using other means of transportation, a news release says.

CAA swamped with calls

If your car won't start in the driveway, you might be out of luck getting a boost from CAA.

CAA is prioritizing service to members who need roadside assistance and are in unsafe situations.

As of 7 a.m., thewait time was between 60 and 90 minutes, a spokesperson said, but that has now dropped to about 30 minutes.

On Sunday, CAA performed close to1,400 rescues.