Temperatures to drop to -30 C the next two nights in Ottawa
A blast of cold Arctic air moved into the Ottawa area Thursday evening, with temperatures set to drop to -30 C over the next two nights.
Ottawa could see its coldest temperatures in years as the polar vortex strengths over the region. Environment Canada has issued an extreme cold warning for the region calling for wind chill values of -40 to -45 Thursday night and Friday morning.
"After moderating during the day Friday, wind chills are again forecast to reach near minus 40 Friday night into Saturday morning," Environment Canada said.
"Those wind chills are quite concerning," David Phillips, senior climatologist at Environment Canada, told CTV Morning Live. "This certainly will be the coldest moment of the winter."
The forecast calls for a low of -30 C on Thursday night, with the wind chill making it feel like -41 degrees. Friday's high will be -25 C ,with the wind chill making it feel like -43 degrees.
Ottawa Public Health has issued a frostbite warning until further notice due to the cold temperatures.
Ottawa is expected to see wild temperature changes over the next few days.
"It's about as close as we get to what we call an Eastern Chinook," Phillips told CP24.
The daytime high will be -25C on Friday, warming up to -14 C on Saturday, before temperatures hit 1 C on Sunday and 0 C on Monday.
Snow squall warning in effect
Environment Canada has also issued a snow squall warning for the region, saying brief, intense snowfall is expected to develop Thursday afternoon and evening.
The weather agency is warning of snow accumulations of up to 5 cm in an hour or two and wind gusts up to 70 km/h.
"Bands of heavy snow are moving through southern Ontario with the passage of an arctic cold front. Heavy snow combined with westerly winds gusting to 60 km/h could produce significantly reduced visibilities at times," Environment Canada said.
"Bitterly cold air will follow in the wake of the front, with very cold wind chill values expected tonight into Friday morning."
Temperature to drop Thursday night
By Thursday evening the temperature will drop dramatically with an overnight low of -29 C. The wind chill will make it feel more like -40 and frostbite could develop within minutes.
Friday’s forecast high of -26 C, and the wind chill will make it feel more like -42. It will be sunny but windy with gusts up to 50 kilometres per hour.
Skies will stay clear Friday evening and temperatures will drop to -27 C overnight.
"Dress warmly. Dress in layers that you can remove if you get too warm. The outer layer should be wind resistant," Environment Canada said. Frostbite can develop within minutes on exposed skin.
Warmer weekend
Things will warm up slightly on Saturday with sunny skies and a high of -14 C.
On Sunday, temperatures will rocket back up to above freezing. The high that day is 1 C, with a 70 per cent chance of snow.
Tips to prevent frostbite
Ottawa Public Health offers the following tips to prevent frostbite during the extreme cold temperatures.
- Get to a warm area before frostbite sets in. If it's too cold outside, consider staying indoors.
- 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.
- Wear waterproof winter boots with room for an extra layer of socks.
- Make sure you are able to wiggle your toes in your boots.
- Avoid drinking alcohol.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING | Donald Trump indicted by Manhattan grand jury: CNN sources
Donald Trump has been indicted by a Manhattan grand jury, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter -- the first time in American history that a current or former president has faced criminal charges.

EXCLUSIVE | Security increased for prime minister's advisers after break-and-enter incidents
Ottawa Police are investigating an attempted break-in at the residence of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's national security adviser, the second such incident involving one of his top aides in recent months.
'Nova Scotians' sense of safety was rocked': RCMP failures dominate inquiry's final report into 2020 mass shooting
A long list of failures by Nova Scotia RCMP leadership and policing systems dominate the final report into Nova Scotia's April 2020 mass shooting.
Meet the Canadian astronauts up for a seat on the Artemis II mission to the moon
This Sunday, NASA and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) will announce the four astronauts that will be blasting off to fly around the moon for the Artemis II mission, one of whom will be a Canadian astronaut.
Gwyneth Paltrow not at fault for ski collision, jury decides
Gwyneth Paltrow won her court battle over a 2016 ski collision at a posh Utah ski resort after a jury decided Thursday that the movie star wasn't at fault for the crash.
Memes, ski etiquette and that missing GoPro video: Highlights from the Gwyneth Paltrow trial
When two skiers collided on a beginner run at an upscale Utah ski resort in 2016, no one could foresee that seven years later, the crash would become the subject of a closely watched celebrity trial.
Research points to common infections as cause of liver disease outbreak in kids
Scientists think they may have pinpointed the cause of a mysterious outbreak of liver disease that affected children worldwide last year.
House abandoned by couple who 'disappeared' years ago nightmare for neighbour on upscale street
A Toronto man, whose neighbours vanished eight years ago and left their home completely abandoned, said he's fed up living next door to a property that is in complete disarray.
Trump indictment: What will the arrest process look like?
Every day, hundreds of people are taken into law enforcement custody in New York City. Former President Donald Trump is expected to become one of them next week.