The Battlefords and much of the province continues to be in the midst of a brutal deep freeze.
According to Environment Canada an extreme cold warning is in effect Thursday for the Battlefords and for several surrounding RMs throughout the region, including the Wilkie, Unity, Cut Knife, Maidstone, Edam, Meota and Glaslyn areas, among others.
Temperatures on Thursday afternoon in North Battleford were minus 27 Celsius, with a wind chill of minus-35. The forecast was for a low of minus-32 overnight and for a high of minus-25 on Friday.
According to the weather office, a bitterly cold airmass has spread completely through the Prairies with wind chill values in southern Saskatchewan expected to dip into the minus-40 to minus-48 range tonight and Friday. The coldest wind chills are expected Friday morning.
The bitter cold is expected to continue throughout the weekend, after which time a warming trend is expected. Environment Canada is advising people to dress warmly, and in layers that you can remove if you get too warm. The outer layer should be wind-resistant. Outdoor workers are encouraged to take regular breaks to warm up. The public is also encouraged to continue to monitor alerts and forecasts.
Also, Living Sky School Division cancelled all bus routes Thursday in North Battleford, Battleford, Cut Knife, Leoville, Spiritwood, Medstead and Hafford because of the extreme windchills that were forecast. Check with the division's website www.lskysd.ca on Friday morning for information on whether bus routes will have resumed operations.
