Alberta currently a minefield of Environment Canada weather warnings (MAP)

“Oh the weather outside is frightful,” is actually quite the understatement.

We don’t know if Sammy Cahn had Alberta in mind as a muse when he wrote the song way back in 1945 — while he was in California during a heatwave, apparently — but the sentiment is more than fitting for those of us stuck in the province during this frozen January.

• See also: 
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  • Winter camping in Alberta looks super awesome, but quite cold (PHOTOS)
  • Here’s how you can help with the Australian bush fires

Large parts of Alberta have fallen under Environment Canada weather warnings, and though the main cities of Edmonton and Calgary appear safe (for now), some of that red is getting dangerously close.

Up north, the regions of Fort Chipewyan, Wood Buffalo National Park, Fort McMurray, Fort MacKay, High Level, Rainbow Lake, Fort Vermilion, Mackenzie Highway, Peace River, Fairview, High Prairie, and Manning have all fallen under an Extreme Cold Warning.

At its worst, northern Albertans can expect temperatures near -40°C with the wind chill, without any hope on the horizon seeing as “temperatures are not expected to warm significantly over the next week.”

Environment Canada

Further south and along the Rockies sees snowfall warnings for the regions of Banff National Park, Grande Prairie, Beaverlodge, Valleyview, Hinton, Grande Cache, Jasper National Park, Crowsnest Pass, Pincher Creek, Waterton Lakes National Park, Spruce Grove, Morinville, Mayerthorpe, Evansburg, Whitecourt, Edson, Fox Creek, and Swan Hills.

Banff and Jasper National Parks are expected to see snows of up to 20 cm fall by Wednesday afternoon, providing a slight silver lining for any eager skiers and snowboarders in the province.

And this is apparently just the start, seeing as Calgary will be dropping down to lows of -30°C by this weekend.

Frightful, indeed.