An extreme cold snap is settling in over the west this week and many areas of the U.S. will see record cold. In fact, in some areas of Wyoming, wind chills as low as -70Fº, or -56Cº have been forecasted. It's the same system that is giving our area the extreme cold we will experience as the week goes on.

Environment and Climate Change Canada meteorologist Natalie Hasell says the western Manitoba will see colder wind chills than what Portage will experience, but adds it is still going to be frigid all over the place.

"I haven't been able to find a forecast on our system that gives us a wind chill of -70º Fahrenheit or -56º Celsius equivalent," says Hasell. "It is possible that they are using a slightly different formula for their calculation. I have to check that. But for areas that will see significant wind chills, it does look like areas west of us are going to be most impacted by this very cold spell. We will be in it. We are in it. I'm not saying that it won't be cold here. We will certainly be dealing with very cold conditions."

Tuesday at 10:00 a.m., our temperature was -23º. The wind chill was -35º, so, she notes it's cold enough to be a problem, and we will be close to warning criteria in Portage for most of this week, if not all of this week. At the same time, Brandon had a wind chill of -47.

"At least until the 24th, actually, maybe even still the morning of the 25th and again the morning of the 26th, it will be that close," continues Hasell. "Luckily, we're not talking about wind chills that are quite as cold as -55º, but it is cold enough for there to be a risk of frostbite. People still need to pay attention to what they're planning to do, how they're going to manage their time, and if they're spending any time outside. All of the things that we've been talking about with respect to the cold, still apply. I don't think we're going to see those Wyoming conditions, but the conditions we have are still problematic." 

Hasell says this is not a Colorado Low, but a ridge of high pressure defined by cold Arctic air. And it's stuck over top of the west.

"The centre of it is sitting over Nunavut, and the second centre is over Northwest Territories," adds Hasell. "It extends well into the States. There is a frontal structure through southwestern Montana clearly showing us where the divide and the cold air not-so-cold air is."

She says we did experience a system pass through here, along with a system that's currently sitting in Ontario.

"The low this morning was centered over Lake Superior, so that didn't affect the prairies directly," adds Hasell. "But the fact that we have this low-pressure centre here, and these ridges centred to our north and west, does put us in flow from the north. It's the position of these lows and highs that are allowing these winds to come from the north into southern Manitoba."

To see further information about safety tips and more related to how to deal with cold, and who it affects most, click here.

"If you're having parties between now and Christmas, when we're looking at these very cold conditions, don't let anyone walk home," notes Hasell. "If you're stuck on the highway for whatever reason, and your car is still intact, it is already offering you shelter. Stay in your car. And then you can also find in this link the list of people who are more vulnerable. Everyone is affected by the cold, frostbite, hypothermia, and cardiac arrest. The stress of the cold will affect everyone, but there are some members of the population who are more at risk, and that's listed there as well."