How Winnipeg is preparing for extreme cold temperatures

Manitobans are reminded to take precautions as temperatures are scheduled to drop in the coming days. CTV’s Jeff Keele has more.

Following a weekend of winter storms, the temperature in Manitoba is dropping, so it’s not ideal to be outside.

“Waiting for the bus is chilly, and I can’t wait to get in, but the buses have been on time,” said one Winnipeg Transit rider on Monday.

Christy Climenhaga, a scientist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, said arctic air is moving in behind the systems that just rolled through.

“That’s going to mean temperatures into maybe the higher minus 20s, maybe the minus 30s as you get towards the end of the week and into the weekend, and of course with the windchill feeling likely into the minus 40s,” Climenhaga said.

The extreme cold is putting pressure on the shelter system as people try to escape the elements. Bill Heil, Siloam Mission’s supervisor of hygiene and clothing, said the nonprofit is seeing more individuals using their services.

“We are actually seeing more frostbite as well in our health centre,” Heil said.

The City of Winnipeg is also reminding people they can use public facilities to warm up when they’re open.

The cold is also hard on vehicles. CAA spokesperson Nadia Matos said as of midday Monday, they’ve had 630 calls for service, with more than half of those for dead batteries.

“As the cold weather kind of lingers and stays on…we will be seeing those elevated call volumes come up just as more batteries start to fail,” Matos said.