Environment Canada said dozens of cold weather records were broken in Alberta on Friday, January 12, 2024. (Photo: Marianvejcik | Dreamstime.com)

By David Opinko

Cold weather records set in 38 Alberta communities Friday

Jan 13, 2024 | 4:46 PM

MILK RIVER, AB – Dozens of communities across the province had their coldest January 12 on record.

Environment Canada reports that daily minimum temperature records were set in 38 municipalities on Friday.

The temperatures listed in this article do not include wind chill values.

The coldest area was Hendrickson Creek in west-central Alberta, which reached a bone-chilling -46.1 degrees Celsius. That beats its previous record of -40, which was set in 2005.

A total of 12 communities in the southern region broke their cold weather records, including Banff National Park, Bow Valley, Cardston, Claresholm, Crowsnest Pass, High River, Milk River, Onefour, Pincher Creek, Strathmore, Taber, and Waterton Lakes National Park.

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Lethbridge got to a low of -40.3, but it was not enough to set a record.

The following areas set new cold weather records:

• Banff Area
  • New record of -39.8
  • Old record of -39.4 set in 1916
  • Records in this area have been kept since 1887
• Bow Valley (Provincial Park) Area
  • New record of -45.3
  • Old record of -38.9 set in 1950
  • Records in this area have been kept since 1928
• Breton Area
  • New record of -42.3
  • Old record of -34.5 set in 1970
  • Records in this area have been kept since 1939
• Camrose Area
  • New record of -42.5
  • Old record of -41.0 set in 1998
  • Records in this area have been kept since 1921
• Cardston Area
  • New record of -39.7
  • Old record of -34.2 set in 1998
  • Records in this area have been kept since 1918
• Claresholm Area
  • New record of -39.3
  • Old record of -33.7 set in 1997
  • Records in this area have been kept since 1951
• Cold Lake Area
  • New record of -42.1
  • Old record of -41.1 set in 1971
  • Records in this area have been kept since 1952
• Coronation Area
  • New record of -42.7
  • Old record of -40.1 set in 1998
  • Records in this area have been kept since 1912
• Crowsnest Area
  • New record of -39.9
  • Old record of -37.9 set in 1998
  • Records in this area have been kept since 1965
• Drumheller Area
  • New record of -40.5
  • Old record of -39.4 set in 1974
  • Records in this area have been kept since 1923
• Edmonton (Int’l Aprt) Area
  • New record of -45.9
  • Old record of -39.4 set in 1969
  • Records in this area have been kept since 1959
• Edson Area
  • New record of -42.7
  • Old record of -38.3 set in 1969
  • Records in this area have been kept since 1916
• Elk Island (National Park) Area
  • New record of -41.0
  • Old record of -36.5 set in 1998
  • Records in this area have been kept since 1966
• Esther Area
  • New record of -40.2
  • Old record of -37.0 set in 1998
  • Records in this area have been kept since 1985
• Fort Chipewyan Area
  • New record of -45.9
  • Old record of -43.5 set in 1994
  • Records in this area have been kept since 1883
• Grande Prairie Area
  • New record of -42.5
  • Old record of -41.0 set in 1998
  • Records in this area have been kept since 1922
• Hendrickson Creek Area
  • New record of -46.1
  • Old record of -40.0 set in 2005
  • Records in this area have been kept since 1995
• High River Area
  • New record of -40.2
  • Old record of -35.0 set in 1997
  • Records in this area have been kept since 1913
• Highvale Area
  • New record of -42.6
  • Old record of -37.0 set in 1980
  • Records in this area have been kept since 1977
• Jasper Area
  • New record of -41.6
  • Old record of -41.1 set in 1916
  • Records in this area have been kept since 1916
• Lloydminster Area
  • New record of -39.5
  • Old record of -37.2 set in 1974
  • Records in this area have been kept since 1952
• Milk River Area
  • New record of -42.5
  • Old record of -35.7 set in 1998
  • Records in this area have been kept since 1994
• Nordegg Area
  • New record of -45.8
  • Old record of -40.0 set in 1998
  • Records in this area have been kept since 1915
• Onefour Area
  • New record of -37.7
  • Old record of -35.0 set in 1997
  • Records in this area have been kept since 1928
• Pincher Creek Area
  • New record of -40.8
  • Old record of -37.2 set in 1971
  • Records in this area have been kept since 1893
• Red Earth Creek Area
  • New record of -42.9
  • Old record of -40.0 set in 2018
  • Records in this area have been kept since 1994
• Rocky Mountain House Area
  • New record of -43.1
  • Old record of -40.0 set in 1935
  • Records in this area have been kept since 1915
• Slave Lake Area
  • New record of -39.3
  • Old record of -38.9 set in 1971
  • Records in this area have been kept since 1922
• Stavely Area
  • New record of -39.1
  • Old record of -35.6 set in 1916
  • Records in this area have been kept since 1914
• Stettler Area
  • New record of -41.8
  • Old record of -37.5 set in 1998
  • Records in this area have been kept since 1918
• Stony Plain Area
  • New record of -40.3
  • Old record of -35.6 set in 1971
  • Records in this area have been kept since 1966
• Strathmore Area
  • New record of -36.8
  • Old record of -36.7 set in 1916
  • Records in this area have been kept since 1912
• Sundre Area
  • New record of -44.8
  • Old record of -40.3 set in 1998
  • Records in this area have been kept since 1993
• Taber Area
  • New record of -39.3
  • Old record of -37.0 set in 1997
  • Records in this area have been kept since 1947
• Three Hills Area
  • New record of -42.3
  • Old record of -37.2 set in 1950
  • Records in this area have been kept since 1921
• Vegreville Area
  • New record of -42.9
  • Old record of -42.8 set in 1971
  • Records in this area have been kept since 1918
• Wainwright Area
  • New record of -42.0
  • Old record of -37.8 set in 1998
  • Records in this area have been kept since 1966
• Waterton Park Area
  • New record of -43.6
  • Old record of -38.1 set in 1998
  • Records in this area have been kept since 1976

The entire province remains under the extreme cold warning that was first issued on Thursday, January 11.

By Sunday morning, Environment Canada said wind chill values could reach -55.

Heading back into the work week, daily temperatures are set to improve somewhat and return to more seasonal norms.

READ MORE: Extreme cold warning issued for all of Alberta

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