Frostbite advisory as Ottawa wakes up to another cold morning

OTTAWA -- Ottawa Public Health is urging people to bundle up before heading outside.

A frostbite advisory was issued Wednesday, with the forecast calling for wind chill values near -25C through Thursday morning.

Environment Canada’s forecast says the cold temperatures will stick around Thursday night, with a low of minus 20C.

*Sigh...* We hate to do this, but there is a frostbite advisory in effect for overnight tonight until further notice with windchill temperatures dipping to -25C. Please dress warmly. https://t.co/RinXzlq7iC pic.twitter.com/WSOj1XgjQb

— Ottawa Public Health (@ottawahealth) February 19, 2020

Above-seasonal temperatures are in the forecast for the weekend, with temperatures warming up above 0C on Saturday and Sunday.

Ottawa Public Health’s tips to look for the four “P”s of frostbite

1. Pink – affected areas will be reddish in colour. This is the first sign of frostbite
2. Pain – affected areas will become painful
3. Patches – white, waxy feeling patches show up – skin is dying
4. Pricklies – the areas will then feel numb

Ottawa Public Health's tips to prevent frostbite

• Get to a warm area before frostbite sets in
• Keep extra mittens and gloves in the car, house or school bag
• Wear larger sized mittens over your gloves
• Wear a hat
• Wear a neck warmer to protect the chin, lips and cheeks
• Avoid drinking alcohol

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  Braving the cold temperatures in Ottawa's ByWard Market.