Lethbridge grapples with extreme cold temperatures

The first major blast of cold has arrived in southern Alberta.

Temperatures are hovering around -30 C currently and will reach the minus teens by the end of the work week.

The cold has outreach organizations acting fast to keep up with demand.

“For us to provide a warm environment is what we really want to do,” said Bill Ginther, executive director of the Lethbridge Soup Kitchen.

Ginther says the vulnerable population is looking for more ways to get out of the freezing temperatures.

The city says the Lethbridge Library, Park n’ Ride transit terminal and Helen Schuler Nature Centre are open during business hours for residents to warm up inside.

The city says hours won’t be extended for the warming centres until temperatures reach -40 C or colder and the city enacts its extreme temperature response protocols.

“It gets a little bit more challenging when people stay inside and it’s -25 C out, and they would like to stay longer, and our system doesn’t allow that,” Ginther said.

The Lethbridge Shelter and Streets Alive Mission are actively collecting donations of warm clothing like jackets, boots and gloves.

Alberta Health Services (AHS) says it’s not just the vulnerable needing to take steps to stay safe.

“The risk of cold effects like windburn, frostbite, and hypothermia tends to increase at wind chills below -27 C,” said Dr. Ange Morris with AHS South Zone.

Morris says wearing proper clothing, keeping blood flowing and watching for signs of cold-related injuries are important.

“The signs of mild hypothermia are things like shivering, feeling tired, you’re breathing a little bit faster, you’re starting to get that pale, cold skin and in that case, you just want to move to a warm place, remove any wet clothing, dry off and warm up the body,” Morris said.

“The more severe conditions, like moderate to severe hypothermia, you start to get impact in terms of your cognition. So, you might not be able to think or pay as much attention. You might start to get confused and lose co-ordination.”

The rapid weather change is also causing problems for vehicles.

“Lethbridge, right now, is more than double the typical volume of boosting that we typically see this time of year, so those cold weather events are huge in terms of creating demand for the service,” said Lance Hughes, fleet supervisor with the Alberta Motor Association (AMA).

The AMA recommends ensuring batteries are fully charged, vehicles are cleaned off and roadside emergency kits are packed before venturing out.

“Having (vehicles) plugged in is really important. Maintaining half a tank of fuel is important, too, as it’ll reduce the chances of something getting frozen up in the system,” Hughes said.