The normal daytime high in Montreal is -5 C for this time of year, but with below-seasonal daytime highs of –13 C and –14 C expected this weekend, people in the city are taking their winter wear seriously. Layers are key, as Environment and Climate Change Canada says a cold air mass from northern Quebec could push wind chill values to nearly –30 in southern regions overnight. Where there’s extreme cold, emergency medicine specialist Mitch Shulman says it’s important to beware of hypothermia and frostbite risk. “Certainly, if you’re wet, it’ll make it worse because water conducts heat much quicker than the air. If there’s a lot of wind that will cool down your skin, if you’re in contact with metal, that will cool down the skin a lot faster because the heat is conducted away from the body,” Shulman said. Though it may be tempting, Shulman says to avoid exposing frost-nipped skin to direct heat. A loss of feeling can lead to burned skin. He also notes the elderly and people experiencing homelessness can be particularly vulnerable. If you see someone down and out in the cold, call 911. “As soon as winter begins, we begin a program of vigilance in selected areas of the city,” says Sam Watts, CEO of Welcome Hall Mission. With homelessness on the rise, Watts says his priority is getting more people indoors. “The goal of being inside is twofold. One is to prevent people from suffering from hypothermia. The other is to start a process whereby that person can get on track to going back into permanent housing.” With the harsh temperatures expected to continue into next week, Watts is calling on everyone to be on the lookout.
