Issued at 11:18 a.m. EST Sunday 4 January 2015
Summary
A period of very cold wind chills is expected. A bitterly cold arctic air mass combined with winds of 10 to 20 km/h will produce extremely cold wind chill values of minus 40 to minus 45 tonight into Monday. People outdoors should exercise caution and dress appropriately as exposed skin may freeze in less than 10 minutes.
Details
Wear appropriate clothing. - Always wear clothing appropriate for the weather. Synthetic and wool fabrics provide better insulation. Some synthetic fabrics are designed to keep perspiration away from your body which keep you dry and further reduce your risk. - Dress in layers with a wind resistant outer layer. You can remove layers if you get too warm (before you start sweating) or add a layer if you get cold. - Wear warm socks, gloves, a hat and scarf in cold weather. Be sure to cover your nose to protect it. - If you get wet, change into dry clothing as soon as possible. You lose heat faster when you're wet. Avoid alcohol. - Consuming alcohol before you go out in the cold may increase your risk of hypothermia because it increases blood flow to the extremities of the body. You may actually feel warm even though you are losing heat. Extreme cold warnings are issued when very cold temperatures or wind chill creates an elevated risk to health such as frost bite and hypothermia. Environment Canada meteorologists will update alerts as required, so stay tuned to your local media or Weatheradio. Email reports of severe weather to
storm.ontario@ec.gc.ca or tweet with the hashtag #ONStorm