A cold front swept across Western Canada and the Prairies over the weekend, leaving much of the region in the grip of frigid temperatures.
Environment Canada has placed large portions of Alberta and Saskatchewan under cold weather warnings as of Sunday morning, with some parts of Manitoba also affected.
Temperatures ranged from -35 to -45 Celsius in Alberta, according to a report by CTV News. With the wind chill, some areas saw temperatures drop to -55 C.
Similar readings were made in Saskatchewan and the southern regions of Manitoba. Conditions were less severe in British Columbia, but Vancouver still saw wind chill values hovering around -20 C.
Amid the bitter cold, officials warned residents that frostbite can develop rapidly on exposed skin.
The Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) also reminded homeowners that damages incurred during extreme cold are generally covered by insurance.
In an interview with CityNews, Rob de Pruis, IBC’s national director of consumer and industry relations, said freezing, wind, hail, or fire-related damages are covered by insurance policies. This includes frozen pipes, leaks, or any other damages to the home and its contents, except the furnace.
“If your furnace does go, and it results in some frozen pipes, the actual furnace itself is not covered by insurance,” he said.
Additionally, Justin Penny of Hydro-Flo Plumbing and Heating offered tips to minimize property damage due to the extreme cold.
Penny cautioned residents against shutting off the main water supply to keep it from freezing. He also advised leaving taps slightly open to maintain a small stream since it takes longer for running water to freeze.
“If there happens to be water [in the pipes] and you turn it back on, all of a sudden, you have a frozen water line and a leak,” he said.
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