Cold weather alert continues today and tomorrow

The cold weather alert issued by Dr. David Colby continues today and tomorrow.

A Cold Weather Alert goes into effect when Environment Canada:

• predicts a temperature of -15°C or lower, without wind chill
• issues a wind chill warning for outdoor activity
• predicts extreme weather conditions, such as a blizzard or ice storm Wind chill is a term used to describe the cooling effect caused by the combined effect of temperature and wind.

When the temperature is -10°C and the wind chill is -20°C, you will feel as cold as you would on a calm day with a temperature of -20°C. The wind makes you feel colder by evaporating any moisture on your skin—a process that draws more heat away from your body. In most of southern Canada, a wind chill is included in the forecast when temperatures reach -25°C. This is the point at which frostbite becomes a risk. Overexposure to cold may result in hypothermia, which occurs when the body temperature drops below normal. Normal body temperature ranges from 36.1° to 37.8° Celsius (97° to 100° Fahrenheit). Symptoms of hypothermia may include pale skin, lethargy, confusion and hallucinations. In the initial stages a person may shiver a lot, but as their body temperature drops shivering may also decrease.