Northeast United States and Canada brace for ‘epic’ Arctic blast

• The NWS of the United States cautioned about the weather severity.
• Wind chills in portions of Maine might reach minus 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Maine has not seen outbreaks since 1982 and 1988.

The northeastern United States and Canada braced for an “epic” Arctic blow that might result in certain locations seeing their worst wind chill readings ever.

The National Weather Service (NWS) of the United States cautioned that wind chills in portions of Maine might reach minus 60 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 51 degrees Celsius).

“This is an epic, generational arctic outbreak,” the NWS office in Caribou, near Maine´s border with Canada, wrote in an advisory.

The chills are “something northern and eastern Maine has not seen since similar outbreaks in 1982 and 1988,” according to the report.

“Most stations are forecast to have their lowest wind chills in decades, or in some cases, ever recorded,” the organization added.

It warned that in such conditions, frostbite on exposed flesh might occur within five minutes.

“The dangers of being caught unprepared without shelter from the elements and without proper winter survival gear cannot be stressed enough,” the service wrote.

Eastern Canada

The most severe weather is expected Friday night into Saturday morning, with severe weather warnings in effect over Quebec and much of eastern Canada.

The wind chill factor in Montreal was – 41°C early Friday afternoon.

Because of the strong, cold winds, the temperature was expected to dip as low as minus 50°C in northern Quebec.

Due to strong cold winds flowing over the unfrozen water, white Arctic sea smoke ascended over areas of the St. Lawrence River.

The Hydro-Quebec power company said it was ready for a record-breaking amount of electricity use from Friday to Saturday and urged customers to cut back.

Overnight Thursday and Friday in the Canadian capital of Ottawa, a snow squall – snowfall combined with 60-70 kilometer per hour gusts — reduced visibility to near nil.

The few inhabitants who ventured out on the streets downtown bundled themselves in wool blankets atop their parkas.

Wind chill advisories were also in effect for parts of New England.

The wind chill is forecast to be minus 34°C in Boston and nearby areas, where public schools were closed Friday.

According to the NWS, New York City will have a low of minus 23°C.

Warmer air is due to move into the region early Sunday.

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