Temperature records were shattered in Alberta on Thursday, as a wide swath of the province endured a deep freeze that has resulted in extreme cold warnings.
According to a weather summary from Environment and Climate Change Canada, more than 30 (that’s right, 30) spots in the province broke their records for the coldest daytime high on December 22, 2022.
There is some good news though, with the federal weather agency stating that although this week set many record-cold temperatures in Alberta, a “warmer air mass will begin moving into the province from the west on Friday.” We’ll take that!
Listing all of the records shattered would be wildly long, so we rounded up some of the grandest that occurred, including one that had stood for more than a century.
Barrhead Area
New record of -44.5°C
Old record of -40.6°C set in 1972
Records in this area have been kept since 1912
Beaverlodge Area
New record of -41.6°C
Old record of -34.4°C set in 1916
Records in this area have been kept since 1912
Breton Area
New record of -39.4°C
Old record of -32.2°C set in 1967
Records in this area have been kept since 1939
Camrose Area
New record of -36.5°C
Old record of -36.1°C set in 1970
Records in this area have been kept since 1921
Crowsnest Area
New record of -42°C
Old record of -38.5°C set in 1990
Records in this area have been kept since 1965
Edmonton (Int’l Aprt) Area
New record of -40.7°C
Old record of -37.8°C set in 2013
Records in this area have been kept since 1959
Edson Area
New record of -42.4°C
Old record of -35°C set in 1964
Records in this area have been kept since 1916
Elk Island (National Park) Area
New record of -40.6°C
Old record of -33.5°C set in 2008
Records in this area have been kept since 1966
Grande Prairie Area
New record of -42.5°C
Old record of -39.4°C set in 1933
Records in this area have been kept since 1922
Hendrickson Creek Area
New record of -45.2°C
Old record of -38.4°C set in 1996
Records in this area have been kept since 1995
High Level Area
New record of -43.3°C
Old record of -43.2°C set in 1984
Records in this area have been kept since 1962
Jasper Area
New record of -41.4°C
Old record of -31.6°C set in 2008
Records in this area have been kept since 1916
Lethbridge Area
New record of -34.4°C
Old record of -31.1°C set in 1967
Records in this area have been kept since 1902
Lacombe Area
New record of -38.5°C
Old record of -35.6°C set in 1916
Records in this area have been kept since 1907
Pincher Creek Area
New record of -39.1°C
Old record of -31.5°C set in 1983
Records in this area have been kept since 1893
Red Deer Area
New record of -39°C
Old record of -35°C set in 1916
Records in this area have been kept since 1904
Rocky Mountain House Area
New record of -41°C
Old record of -35°C set in 1921
Records in this area have been kept since 1915
Slave Lake Area
New record of -38.2°C
Old record of -36.1°C set in 1933
Records in this area have been kept since 1922
Stony Plain Area
New record of -34.8°C
Old record of -30.5°C set in 1996
Records in this area have been kept since 1966
Strathmore Area
New record of -31.7°C
Old record of -31.1°C set in 1920
Records in this area have been kept since 1912
Sundre Area
New record of -42.3°C
Old record of -33.5°C set in 1996
Records in this area have been kept since 1993
Waterton Park Area
New record of -43.6°C
Old record of -31.4°C set in 1996
Records in this area have been kept since 1976
Environment and Climate Change Canada added that the temperature records reported have been derived from a selection of historical stations in each geographic area that was active during the period of record.
The summary may also contain preliminary or unofficial information and does not constitute a complete or final report.
Much of the country is being walloped by wicked winter storms on Friday, with flight cancellations galore for major transportation hubs in Vancouver and Toronto.
Environment and Climate Change Canada has also issued a string of weather warnings for every single province in Canada on Friday, varying from extreme cold warnings, snowfall warnings, and freezing rain warnings to wind warnings, storm surge warnings, and rainfall warnings.