Wind chill a concern in Kamloops, Okanagan in frigid Arctic air

Environment Canada has continued an extreme cold warning for Kamloops, the North and South Thompson, Similkameen, Nicola and Shuswap regions.

“A very cold airmass combined with moderate winds will give wind chill values of -35 Celsius or lower this morning,” it reads. “Temperatures will increase this afternoon.”

At 8 a.m., Kamloops Airport showed a temperature of -22 C with 20 km/h winds for a wind chill factor of -38 C, rising to -24 C this afternoon.

Kelowna Airport, at the same time, showed a temperature of -25 C with a wind of 20 km/h gusting to 40 km/h for a wind chill factor of -30 C this morning and -20 C this afternoon, but no extreme cold warning or even advisory was issued.

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No temperature was given for Vernon on the Environment Canada website but Penticton was at -15 C.

Further to the north, Prince George was at -32 C with a wind chill down to -40 C and a snowfall warning of 10 to 15 centimetres. Temperatures get warmer further north with Fort St. John at -25 C but it’s under a wind chill warning of -42 C.

Whitehorse was only -12 C, Edmonton -28 C, Calgary -26 C, Regina -31 C and Winnipeg -30 C. Further east it’s almost warm with Toronto sitting at 1 C and St. John’s at 0 C.

Normally snow-free Victoria sat at -5 C at 8 a.m. with a snowfall warning of five to 10 cm while Vancouver was at -12 C with an Arctic outflow warning of wind chills down to -20 C and a snowfall warning for five to 10 cm.

Daytime highs are forecast to reach -8 C in Kelowna Friday and -9 C in Kamloops.

For the latest on weather warnings and watches go to Environment Canada's web page here.

Hitting the road? Go to Drive B.C. here for the latest highway conditions and closures.

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