Bitter cold temperatures hit Waterloo Region, winds bring risk of frostbite and hypothermia

Bitter cold temperatures are set to continue throughout the work week in Waterloo Region, with wind chills that could pose a serious threat to people’s health.

An extreme cold warning was issued for area from Monday night into Tuesday morning. On Jan 20, the daytime high is -13 C, but the wind chill could feel like -26 C. On Tuesday and Wednesday, wind chills could continue to feel like -30 C.

According to 570’s Meteorologist Jill Taylor, any skin left exposed to those cold winds could be at risk for frostbite and frostnip, and prolonged exposure to the cold could lead to hypothermia.

“When you’re talking about a wind chill of -25 C, close to -30 C, you’ve got a high risk that exposed skin can freeze in as little as 10 to 30 minutes,” explained Taylor.

Light snow is also expected to fall at times throughout that cold stretch.

There’s no end to the cold in sight, as temperatures for the remainder of January are expected to remain below average.

According to Environment Canada, the temperatures over the next few days could be the coldest this area has experienced in several years.