Parts Of Calgary Are Shut Down Due To Extremely Cold Weather Right Now (PHOTOS)
Update as of 4:44 PM on February 4, 2019:
Calgary Academy and Chinook Winds Adventist Academy have announced that their schools are expected to reopen tomorrow, other schools have yet to update. Transit delays have slowed down, with the last notable delay happening four hours ago. The Calgary Zoo hopes to reopen the Penguin Walk tomorrow, but has not confirmed yet.
Winter is coming down hard on Calgary today. Due to the extremely cold weather, school closures, transit delays, and even ski hill closures have forced Calgary to go into shut down mode. The area is forecasted to experience temperatures as low as -45 ° Celcius today on Monday, February 4, Environment Canada warns. We're getting cold just thinking about it.
READ ALSO: Calgary Schools, Buses, Ski Hills Remain Closed Today As Extreme Cold Weather Continues
Environment Canada has issued an extreme cold weather warning for the city of Calgary today. According to them, the coldest wind chill temperatures in the city will be around -40 ° Celcius and -45 ° Celcius.
READ ALSO: It Currently Feels Like Spring In BC, While It's Snowing And -50°C In Ontario (PHOTOS)
"Cold arctic air has entrenched itself across much of Alberta," reads the weather warning. "These extreme wind chills will moderate through the day slightly, however, the extreme wind chills will persist in the overnight periods into Tuesday."
Environment Canada is also warning Calgarians to be extra careful when going outside because it could be dangerous for their health. "Watch for cold related symptoms: shortness of breath, chest pain, muscle pain and weakness, numbness and colour change in fingers and toes," advises Environment Canada. "Cover up. Frostbite can develop within minutes on exposed skin, especially with wind chill".
As a result of the intensely cold temperatures in Calgary, the city is shutting down today. There are tons of closures and delays across Calgary right now.
READ ALSO: Calgary's Free Winter Light Festival Will Be Taking Over Downtown This February
Several schools are completely closed. The following schools in Calgary have been shut down today.
- Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School
- Calgary Academy
- Cremona school
- Khalsa School Calgary
- Chinook Winds Adventist Academy
- Foothills Academy School
@660NEWS Due to extreme cold, Foothills Academy school program is closed today. Our Community Services area will be open as usual for appointments and programs. Stay warm!
IMPORTANT: SCHOOL CLOSURE Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School will be closed on Monday, February 4, due to extremely cold temperatures and poor road conditions, which are forecasted to continue throughout the night and the day tomorrow. Please stay safe and warm!
There have also been several car accidents today on the roads.
UPDATE: Multi-vehicle incident, WB Glenmore Tr at Heritage Dr SE, blocking the right lane. #yyctraffic #yycroads pic.twitter.com/f7meNFukMD
ALERT: Two vehicle incident, NB 14 St and Memorial Dr NW, blocking the right lane. #yyctraffic #yycroads pic.twitter.com/S4zMQnDRY9
ALERT: Single vehicle incident, NB 14 St onto WB Glenmore Tr SW. #yyctraffic #yycroads pic.twitter.com/e710BZZ8lI
Unsurprisingly, there have been tons of delays all morning on Calgary transit, including C-trains and buses. To find out more information on transit delays and closures, visit the YYC Transit twitter page for live updates.
#CTRiders due to a broken down train, all trains traveling in both directions at Brentwood station will be using the southbound (Somerset) track. pic.twitter.com/oszrCdE2i6
The city's only ski hill has even been forced to shut down and cancel all lessons for the day. Canada Olympic Park in Calgary is currently closed today. The ski park says that it will re-open tomorrow on February 5.
Just a friendly reminder #Calgary that the hill is closed today (Feb 4) and will be re-opened tomorrow (Feb 5). Our call centre at Guest Services can be reached at 403-247-5452 ext 4. Click here for our hill report and hours: https://t.co/90gy4hPQs5 pic.twitter.com/umgEzjpoDW
Even the penguins aren't able to handle the cold, because the Calgary Zoo has closed the Penguin Walk due to the weather.
Please note: Penguin Walk has been cancelled for today, February 4, 2019, due to extreme weather conditions. We are hopeful to resume the walk tomorrow. Please check the zoo’s website and social media channels for any further updates. pic.twitter.com/Vq4yRWl6Lu
Locals have also taken to social media to document just how unbearably chilly it is in Calgary.
Faraaz I was strolling around Calgary last night in -27.2C weather and my eyelashes were forming icicles!
Meanwhile in Calgary pic.twitter.com/lNKdc8HgZG
Too cold for remote starting. Ewww. #calgary #winter #toofrickencold pic.twitter.com/DEqBNZZQZh
Stating the obvious: it is very, very cold in Calgary.Keep your pets safe while we go through this cold snap. If you see an animal in distress, you can call the Calgary Humane Society.#coldweather #pethealth #petsafety #yyc #veterinarian pic.twitter.com/09DFJn8rEg
Unfortunately for Calgarians, it doesn't look like relief from the bitter cold temperatures is coming until mid-week, according to The Weather Network. It's even worse for those in Northern Alberta. "The cold arctic air is expected to remain through most of the week for the more northern regions of Alberta," warns Environment Canada.