An extreme cold warning remains in effect for Cochrane and surrounding area. The cold snap is anticipated to linger for the remainder of the week before we can begin to see some relief come Monday.
With the frigid temperatures, precautions must be taken while outside, commuting, with your homes and pets.
"If you don't need to go outside, then don't. Skin is freezing in a matter of minutes at this kind of temperature. We're looking at -30 C and that's even before the wind chill so we are getting into that dangerously cold," mentions inspector Jeff Avery with Cochrane Fire Services. "If you have to bundle your kids up to go to the bus stop in the morning either go with them or phone to make sure that the buses are going to be on time, instead of sending your child out and potentially waiting at a bus stop for 10-15 minutes because it's just getting way, way too cold."
Temperatures are expected to reach a low of -41 C this evening cooling off a few more degrees overnight to -47 C.
Avery adds that it is always a good idea to equip your vehicle with an emergency kit. This should contain booster cables, protein bars, a blanket and candle.
Also important to take into consideration is the place we all go at the end of each day: Home. During these extreme conditions, Avery recommends checking batteries in electric thermostats to verify everything is working efficiently.
"Add changing the battery on your thermostat to the same check as you would your smoke alarm or CO alarm, so every six months replace that battery especially with this type of weather you don't want to be going out and then having your furnace not kick in because it wouldn't take long for downstairs pipes to freeze up on you."
Lastly take care of those furred family members during this brisk weather. Avery suggests pets should only be going outside for the bare essentials before heading back inside.
"It doesn't take long for a dog's paws to freeze when the temperature is like this. Avoid taking them on a really long walk or if they're in the backyard, keep an eye on them. If they are starting to lift the paws up in the air, then the bottom of their pads are starting to freeze so get them in right away and warm them up."
