Frigid air settles on Central, Eastern Canada
Wind chill warnings were in effect across parts of Eastern and Central Canada Monday afternoon as the deep freeze that has plagued the area continued.
Parts of northern New Brunswick and southern Quebec were under wind chill warnings, Environment Canada said, and cold winter weather was also an issue in Newfoundland and Labrador.
"In Newfoundland, there's a warning for pretty much everything except a thunderstorm at this point," CBC meteorologist John Sauder said, noting that storm surge warnings, wind warnings and winter storm warnings have been issued for parts of the province.
In Halifax, a few hearty souls laced up their skates at the Canada Games speedskating oval on Monday before it was shut down around noon because of the extreme cold.
"That wind is a killer — blows right through you," said John McLean, the Zamboni driver at the skating oval on the Halifax Common.
Power companies in Quebec and New Brunswick urged people to reduce their electricity consumption at peak periods as the extreme cold led to increased demand.
In Ottawa it was –20 C, but felt like –27 with the wind chill, the weather office said.
In Toronto, it was –20 C with a wind chill of –26 early in the morning but temperatures started to rise later in the day. By 2 p.m. ET, it was –10 C with a wind chill that made it feel like –17.
The same Arctic blast affecting Canada was blamed for two deaths in the northeastern United States, where temperatures dropped to –34 C overnight.
In Lansford, Penn., a 49-year-old man died after spending Friday night in his car. A woman in North Haven, Conn., died after she apparently fell in a driveway Saturday night and froze to death. "This is the coldest air we've had in about two years," said Michael Hill, a weather service meteorologist in Caribou, Maine.
Elsewhere, temperatures were:
