More than a dozen communities in northern Ontario are under extreme cold warnings, with wind chills dropping to between -40°C and -50°C expected Monday night through Tuesday morning.
Warnings Cover Wide Area
Environment and Climate Change Canada issued yellow-level warnings Monday morning, classifying the impact as moderate with high forecast confidence. “A period of very cold wind chills is expected,” the warnings state. “The coldest wind chill values are expected for areas close to James Bay and Hudson Bay.”
Affected communities include Attawapiskat, Fort Albany, Fort Hope (Lansdowne House, Ogoki), Fort Severn, Fraserdale (Pledger Lake), Kapuskasing (Hearst, Smooth Rock Falls), Kirkland Lake (Englehart), Little Abitibi (Kesagami Lake), Manitouwadge (Hornepayne), Moosonee, Nakina (Aroland, Pagwa), Peawanuck, Timmins (Cochrane, Iroquois Falls), and Webequie.
Coldest Conditions Near Hudson and James Bays
Communities such as Attawapiskat, Fort Albany, Moosonee, Peawanuck, and Webequie face the most severe cold, with wind chills between -45°C and -50°C. Other regions can anticipate wind chills near -40°C. Similar conditions affect parts of northern Manitoba and southwestern Quebec.
Health Risks and Precautions
Residents should monitor for cold-related symptoms like shortness of breath, chest pain, muscle pain, weakness, numbness, and color changes in fingers and toes. “Frostbite can develop within minutes on exposed skin, especially with wind chill,” the warnings note.
Those most vulnerable include young children, older adults, individuals with chronic illnesses, outdoor workers or exercisers, and people without adequate shelter.
Nicole Chantal Pauluzzo, who nearly lost two fingers to frostbite during a January cold spell in Thunder Bay, Ont., highlights the dangers.
Environment and Climate Change Canada recommends checking on elderly family, friends, and neighbors, bringing pets indoors, and watching for signs like color changes, pain, numbness, tingling, or swelling in extremities. If symptoms appear, move indoors immediately and begin warming.
