An extreme cold warning remains in place for much of the province of Alberta, including both Calgary and Edmonton on Saturday.
Environment Canada put the warning in place on Friday afternoon after it forecasted frigid wind chill values reaching into the -40s.
Now, the agency says those wind chills are expected to remain in place for much of the Alberta region, with wind chill values between -40 and even -50 in some areas.
The warning was called off in a few regions in northern Alberta earlier on Saturday.
Environment Canada says extreme cold can be very dangerous for everyone and it’s important to cover up exposed skin when you go outside because frostbite can develop within minutes.
On Saturday, the Hope Mission in Calgary held a marathon in the frigid weather to help raise money for the facility.
“We call it the ‘Cold Hands, Warm Hearts Walk,’ so it’s kind of giving you an idea if you were in poverty, if you were living on the street, living in places where you were vulnerable and don’t have proper clothing even,” says Kelly Rowe, a spokesperson for the Hope Mission.
He says his concern isn’t so much for the walkers than it is for the volunteers who are out standing on the route.
“We are doing a bit of a modified walk where most people just do two kilometres today and then there’s a rest stop. That way we can position our marshals so that they don’t have to sit out in the cold.”
Row says the event usually raises enough money to pay for food to feed the families at the shelter for about a month and a half.
“It just helps with our ongoing budget of feeding and doing programs with kids.”
The cold temperatures are expected to remain in place through the weekend and into Monday.
For the full weather forecast, you can check the CTV Calgary weather page or download the Sky Watch Weather App for the latest weather alerts send right to your smartphone.
