The polar vortex that has chilled the Prairies over the past few days has so far led to multiple weather records being broken. Between February 6th and 7th, Environment Canada says six new weather records were unofficially set at the Grande Prairie Airport, all from the previous coldest year on record for those days, 1994.
On Saturday, the minimum windchill recorded was minus 52 Celsius, besting the minus 50 seen 27 years earlier, while the minimum dew point was minus 42.9 degrees, just a titch colder than 42.6 on February 6, 1994. The minimum temperature wasn’t quite low enough to be record-breaking, as the minus 40.1 degrees seen on Saturday was just warmer than the minus 40.6 seen on that day in 1951.
On Sunday, the low for the day was minus 44.3 degrees Celcius, just cold enough to pass the previous record of minus 44 set in 1994, while the minimum high was minus 32.1, beating the minus 30.2 degrees seen that same year. Also breaking records from 27 years ago were the minimum windchill of minus 54, colder than the previous record of minus 52, and the minimum dew point of minus 48.4 degrees, much chillier than the minus 45.5 seen in 1994.
More weather records are possible as frigid temperatures continue into the week.