MONTREAL -- Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and as Canadians get ready to celebrate this day of love, they will probably be feeling anything but for the weather this year!
Most of the country has been gripped all week by the dreaded polar vortex. And today, the cold has punched its way into southern Quebec.
Montrealers woke up to a temperature of -20° this morning and a wind chill of -30°.
Cold yes, but not record by any stretch -- simply colder than what we’ve gotten used to so far this winter.
Temperatures in both December and January were well above average. And Montreal has only hit -20° once so far this season: January 31, -21.5°.
Meantime, our friends in Western Canada have been freezing under the influence of the polar vortex all week, prompting Extreme Cold Warnings across much of the West. Daytime highs in many Prairie cities have been locked into the -20s all week and they have experienced wind chills in the -40s and -50s.
Some cities, like Regina, are not expected to get back to seasonal until next Thursday.
On Friday, Montreal is only expected to hit a daytime high of -14°, making it the coldest day of the season so far at almost ten degrees below average.
Fortunately, the cold air in Montreal will be short-lived. By Valentine’s Day, temperatures are expected to warm significantly. But it will still be cold enough to cosy up to your loved one!
