Extreme Cold Warning issued for most of Northern BC

(With files by Darin Bain-MyPGNow)

Environment Canada has issued an Extreme Cold Warning for almost everywhere North of the Cariboo.

According to Environment Canada, a very cold arctic ridge of high pressure will settle over the northern and central BC Interior. The affected areas are Bulkley Valley, Lake District, Mackenzie, Mcgregor, Pine Pass, Chilcotin, Cariboo North, Prince George, Stuart – Nechako, Lakes District, and BC North Peace River.

Environment Canada Meteorologist Trevor Smith said the real cold will start Saturday with temperatures dropping off to minus 33 and with the northwest wind driven by the Arctic pressure, we’ll see windchill values in low minus 40’s.

Smith said Sunday night will be the coldest with lows dropping down to minus 41 which should break records in Quesnel and Williams Lake

“We are going to be approaching record low temperatures over the next few days. On December 27 the all-time low at the Quesnel Airport is minus 38.6, so if the forecast of minus 41 works out we will break that.m I don’t think we’ll break the December all-time record from December 31st, 1927 it was minus 46.7. For Williams Lake on December 22nd, the record low at the Airport is minus 38 so we could be potentially breaking a record. The all-time record is minus 42.8 which was set on December 29th, 1968 which we probably won’t break as well.”