The big news to end 2017 is the weather, and just how bitterly cold it's going to be over the next few days.

An extreme cold warning was put into effect last night as temperatures in the Airdrie area fell to minus 30 and were down in the minus 40 range when you factored in the wind.

Environment Canada Meteorologist Blaine Lowry has some bad news if you're looking for a quick warm up.

"The pattern that we're in is one that's slow to change, so we're in it for a number of days here.  It looks like moderation might not really occur until early January."

After Lowry gives us that disappointing piece of news he gets into what's causing the cold to linger.

"In meteorological speak, it's called an Omega block and blocking patterns in the weather are very slow to move from west to east.  We're in an Arctic air mass and like I say that isn't going to change anytime soon."

Lowry says that exposed skin can freeze in only minutes.  "So you're going to want to make sure you have as much skin as possible covered.  You'll be at risk of frostbite and things of that nature.  The windchill takes away that protective heat layer right next to the skin, so that's what you want to protect against."

Last night's temperatures in southern Alberta were extremely cold.  While Lowry says it's hard to predict if they'll be that cold again, they're going to be cold enough.

"Last night was very, very cold.   We are going to see the potential for extreme windchills as we progress through the week.  It's hard to say if this night we just had will end up being the coldest or not, but there's still that threat of extreme windchills as we continue through this week."

There is some hope on the horizon for warmth lovers.  Lowry says the long range forecast is looking better, starting on New Year's Eve.  

"At the moment, our computer models are showing a system's going to track through southern Alberta this coming weekend, so Sunday, that time frame.  At this point in time, it looks southern Alberta may get some snow from that system.  Airdrie may be just on the edge of that, but at that time there'll be relatively warmer temperatures that will begin to move into southern Alberta and then we'll start to see that general moderating trend into the new year."

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