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Science

6 signs that this winter's cold has been extreme

Ready for the next round of extreme cold? Here are some signs weve already survived some pretty extraordinary temperatures, from sharks found frozen to death to polar bear swims cancelled for the first time ever.

Sharks freezing to death, cancelled polar bear swims and more

This dead shark 'likely stranded due to cold shock,' reports the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy. (Atlantic White Shark Conservancy)

It's about to get very cold again in much of Canada. Are you ready?

A "weather bomb" is expected Thursday, bringing cold temperatures and messy weather to Eastern Canada. That will end a brief bump-upto single-digit, below-freezing temperatures in some parts of Canada.

ManyCanadians have already made it through some record-breaking cold, and it's not just the numbers on the thermometer that show itthere have been a lot of other signs.

It's been so cold that

1. Sharks have been found frozen to death on the East Coast.

The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy has so far found three dead male thresher sharks near Cape Cod, Mass., in the past couple of weeks that it said were "likely stranded due to cold shock."

2. The Calgary Zoo brought its penguins indoors.

The zoo's king penguins have been brought indoors multiple times this season, the Canadian Press reports. A zoo guideline saysthey shouldn't be outside if it's below 25 C, and temperatures averaged 28 C during the last week of December. The penguins are from subantarctic areas where temperatures can get pretty cold, but zookeepers say they want to be safe, given that the animals are not wild.

King penguins look around their new pen during opening day of the Penguin Plunge exhibit at the Calgary Zoo in 2012. It's been so cold that some days the subantarctic penguins have to be brought indoors. (Larry MacDougal/Canadian Press)

3. Some Canadian polar bear swims were cancelled for the first time.

The Toronto Polar Bear Club cancelled its annual New Year's Day dip in Lake Ontario for the first time in its 13-year history due to extreme cold and dangerous ice buildup. Shortly afterward in Oakville, Ontario's Courage Polar Bear Dip for World Vision cancelled its event for the first time in its 33-year history.

Organizers of the cancelled Oakville polar bear dip put cones along the beach to try to keep people out of the water. (Yanjun Li/CBC)

Instead of swimming in Lake Ontario, some people were skating.

4. Suspected ice quakes damaged homes and produced large cracks in the groundin Alberta Beach.

A spokesperson for the Alberta Energy Regulator said it believed the village of Alberta Beach was hit bytwo naturally caused ice quakeson Jan. 1. Ice quakes happen when cold winter temperatures quickly freezegroundwater, causing the ground to suddenly crack and make popping sounds.

Sharon Smith took this photo in the village of Alberta Beach where cracks opened up in the the ground after two suspected ice quakes. (Sharon Smith)

5. Manatees have been huddling togetherfor warmth at power plants and hot springs.

Reports and images from Florida suggest that manatees have been migrating south in large numbers,seeking warmth at hot springs and power plants in great numbers and huddling together for warmth.

6. Niagara Falls looks amazing.

With the cold temperatures, mist from the surging waters of Niagara Falls has been freezing instantly on everything it touches, coating trees, walkways, cliffs and overlooks in a dreamy, brilliant white, the Associated Press reports. And here are some photos to prove it.

Visitors take photographs at the brink of the Horseshoe Falls in Niagara Falls, Ont., as cold weather continues through much of the province, Tuesday, January 2, 2018. (Aaron Lynett/Canadian Press)