Alberta shivers as Arctic blast chills province to record lows

Extreme cold continues to grip Alberta, plunging some areas of the province into record low temperatures.

The entire province remains under an extreme cold warning with teeth-chattering temperatures well below the seasonal average and wind chill values that have made theair feel like it's between40 and 55.

Environment Canada says some areas of northern Alberta will experience a "prolonged" deep freeze. The icy cold is expected to last well into next week.

The breathtaking temperatures had at least 15 communities across the province setting new daily temperature recordson Monday.

The Edmonton International Airport set a newrecord low of 41.6 C. The old record of 38 C wasset in 1992.

The Airdriearea hit a new record of 40.6 C, breaking the old record of36.1 set in 1968, while Banff set a new record of37.2, breaking the previous record of34.4 C set in 1934.

Additional records have likelybeen set and meteorologists are reviewing the historical records to confirm, said Environment Canada meteorologist Chris Wielki.

"It was very cold this morning with a few temperature records broken,"Wielkisaid."And temperatures are continuingto drop."

Too risky to clear snow in Edmonton

Edmonton was so cold Monday that the city put a pause on work to clear residential streets of snow and ice.

"The current temperatures present a significant risk to employees, equipment and contracted equipment," the city said in a public service announcement."Temperatures will be monitored and operations will resume when it is safe to do so."

Frigid temperatures have left most of the western provinces shivering with brutalwind chills for days, forcing many families to keep inside over the holidays.

WATCH | Frigid temperatures descend on Western Canada:

Unbearable cold weather shatters records across Western Canada

3 years ago

Duration 2:05

A blast of winter from Manitoba to B.C. is shattering cold weather records, with frigid temperatures expected to continue into the new year.

Most of British Columbia and Saskatchewan, along with parts of Manitoba and Ontario, are also under extreme cold weather warnings.

The cold temperatures prompted the Alberta Energy System Operator to issue a level 2emergency alert Monday night, due to the weather affecting some energy generation.

Limit time outside

As of Monday it remainedequally frosty across Alberta, with communities fromFort McMurrayand Edmontonto Calgary andMedicine Hatcalling for a wind chill near 40 C on Monday.

Wielki urged Albertans to bundle up and limit their time outside.In weather this cold, frostbite can develop in minutes.

There is a chance we will return to normal on Saturday but then we're back into the cold.-Chris Wielki

A blast of cold Arctic air is to blame for bringing strong and bitterly cold winds to the province, Wielki said.

The relentless deep freeze could persist for days, he said.

"It's going to be fairly persistent,"Wielki said."There is a chance we will return to normal on Saturday but then we're back into the cold on Sunday.

"Even Saturday, it will be a fairly brief reprieve, a fairly brief break in the pattern."