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‘Dead of winter’: La Ronge entering coldest time of year

Jan 21, 2019 | 2:00 PM

Four days of extreme cold warnings in La Ronge and other parts of Saskatchewan might have felt unnatural, but according to an Environment Canada meterologist, those events are typical for this time of year.

“We’re sort of in the dead of winter meaning if you plotted out the average highs for everyday of the year, the bottom [of the coldest temperatures] would be coming right about now,” Terri Lang said.

The extreme cold warning was triggered the morning of Jan. 17 and remained in effect until Jan. 20. Lang noted the cold weather was due to a ridge of high-pressure arctic air coming into the province, adding its normal for that to happen during the winter months. The coldest day out of the four was Jan. 19 when the temperature reached -38 Celsius, but felt like -46 C  in the wind. Lang stated the coldest temperature on record for Jan. 19 in La Ronge is -43.3 without the wind.

From now until Jan. 25, Lang said residents can expect more seasonal temperatures with daytime highs in the minus-teens and overnight lows dropping below -20 C. Another ridge of arctic air will enter the province again Wednesday, which will lead to colder temperatures with the wind, but Lang doesn’t believe it will trigger another extreme cold warning. The system, however, will bring light snow.