Metro Vancouver’s cold snap to get even colder on Tuesday

If you haven’t done so yet, you might want to unpack those red Olympic mittens because temperatures during this cold snap in Metro Vancouver are expected to dip even lower Tuesday morning.

A blast of Arctic air is expected to whip across the region overnight, causing the thermometer to drop down to between -7 C and -10 C, the coldest yet this season, said meteorologist Mark Madryga.

That’s compared to the -5 C that most of the region experienced Monday.

While the temperatures will hover around -7 and -10 C Tuesday morning, Madryga said the weather is going to feel even colder because of the wind chill factor.

He said in some places, particularly the Fraser Valley, the weather will feel more like -17 C.

The wind is expected to ease later in the day but the temperature will only rise to -6 C, Madryga said.

“So it will still be cold, just not the brutally bone-chilling cold wind,” he said.

Whistler felt the coldest temperatures Monday at -12 C, with a wind chill factor at the top of the mountain reported to be -50 C.

“That’s crazy, a -50 C wind chill. I’m hoping no one was skiing right at the top,” said Madryga.

The cold snap won’t last though, with the weather warming up by the end of the week. On Thursday, residents may see some snow falling in the morning but then it will warm up in the afternoon and turn to rain later in the day.

By Friday, there will be a high of 8 C, said Madryga. Environment Canada issued an Arctic outflow warning for the Fraser Valley, including Abbotsford and Chilliwack, late Monday morning, predicting wind chill temperatures below -20 C for overnight.

The federal weather agency said winds of 60 to 70 km/h gusting to 90 km/h were expected over the central coast and inland sections of the north coast.