Special weather statement lifted, but deep freeze continues in Toronto

A woman tries to keep warm on a grate on a street corner in downtown Toronto on Monday, Jan. 5, 2014. (Colin Perkel / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Toronto is no longer under a special weather statement, but the bitter cold is expected to continue throughout the evening.

As of 4 p.m., Environment Canada says the temperature was -12 C, but with the wind chill, it felt closer to -24 C. The national weather agency says there is also a 60 per cent chance of flurries later this evening, as the mercury is expected to plunge to a low of -14 C.

Earlier in the day, a special weather statement was issued for Toronto and the surrounding region, as an Arctic air mass pushed temperatures below seasonal average. The statement was lifted shortly after 4 p.m.

Extreme cold expected to last

The deep freeze is expected to linger throughout the rest of the week. Environment Canada says the mercury is expected to drop to a low of -17 C on Tuesday night, with winds gusting up to 50 kilometres/hour. The conditions are expected to improve slightly on Wednesday, when the mercury will rise to a high of -14 C.