Weather Warning: Extreme Cold, February 3 – 4, 2023
February 3, 2023: Environment Canada has issued an Extreme Cold Warning, in effect from Friday evening, February 3, through to Saturday afternoon, February 4. Extreme cold warnings are issued when very cold temperatures or wind chill creates an elevated risk to health such as frost bite and hypothermia.
The warning states that: An arctic airmass will combine with strong and gusty northwest winds to give bitterly cold conditions by tonight. Windchill values of minus 35 to minus 43 are expected to develop late night and will persist into Saturday morning before beginning to moderate Saturday afternoon as temperatures warm up.
Please stay safe! There are a number of things to watch for when there is extreme cold: shortness of breath, chest pain, muscle pain and weakness, numbness and colour change in fingers and toes.
People are advised to seek shelter, cover up and/or dress warmly and in layers. Frostbite can develop within minutes on exposed skin, especially with wind chill. More information is on the Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness website at https://novascotia.ca/nse/environmental-health/staying-warm-in-winter.asp.
For more information about the Extreme Cold Warning: https://weather.gc.ca/warnings/report_e.html?ns4
Warming Centres/Shelters
Locally, there are some areas that the public can access to get warm during this extreme cold period (please check back. As more information is received, we will update the list).
- Queens Place Emera Centre (50 Queens Place Drive, Liverpool) is open for residents. With the forecasted bitterly cold windchill values for Friday, February 3 through Sunday, February 5 for our communities, the public are welcome to warm up at Queens Place Emera Centre. Open hours: Friday, February 3 – 6 a.m. – 9 p.m., Saturday, February 4 – 8 a.m – 7 p.m., and Sunday, February 5 – 9 a.m. – 9 p.m.
- North Queens Fire Station (Hwy. 8, Caledonia) will be open as a warming centre 8am -9 pm Saturday due to the cold temperatures if you need assistance or need help before or after the posted times contact chief Wolfe at (902)682-7277
- Liverpool Fire Department (520 Main St., Liverpool) is offering a Warming Shelter. The Warming Shelter will be open from 6 p.m. on Friday, February 3 through to 9 a.m. on Sunday, February 5. All are welcome.
- Port Medway Fire Department (66 Long Cove Rd., Port Medway) is open as a comfort centre during the power outage on Saturday, February 4, 2023. The comfort centre will remain open until power is restored at approximately 2 p.m. February 4. The comfort centre is a place to get warm, charge devices and have a warm drink.
