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Environment Canada issues extreme cold warning for parts of B.C. near Alberta

Arctic air mass combined with a north wind is bringing wind chill values near -40 C to the Peace River region
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A man walking a dog checks his phone as ice floes build up on the Fraser River in New Westminster, B.C., on Tuesday, December 28, 2021.Environment Canada has issued extreme cold warnings for several parts of British Columbia along the Alberta boundary.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Environment Canada has issued extreme cold warnings for several parts of British Columbia along the Alberta boundary.

The weather agency says an Arctic air mass combined with a north wind is bringing wind chill values near -40 C to the Peace River region, including the communities of Fort St. John and Dawson Creek.

The cold was forecast to persist until Tuesday before some warming on Wednesday.

To the south, a warning has also been issued for the Elk Valley area along with Kootenay and Yoho national parks, where Environment Canada says wind chill values near -35 were expected overnight and Tuesday night.

It says some moderation of temperatures was expected during the daytime.

The weather agency cautions that wind chill values near -40 can cause frostbite within minutes and also raises the risk of hypothermia.

Overnight wind chill values near -10 to -15 were expected in Metro Vancouver, Howe Sound and the Fraser Valley until temperatures gradually warm later this week, it says.

The Canadian Press