Key takeaways:
- Advocates express worry over individuals undergoing homelessness as wind chill values fall to –40.
- Icy situations in northern B.C. directed to an ice jam on the Fraser River near Quesnel, B.C.
- The wind chill made several regions of the north feel like –50 C according to Environment Canada.
BC experiencing -50 C, results in frost jams:
The cold breeze impacting northern B.C. has resulted in an ice jam where the Quesnel River encounters the Fraser River, with advocates expressing worry for under-housed individuals in the region.
The province is in its third week of hard frigid temperatures. Environment Canada states an extremely cold air mass has settled across parts of Yukon, northern B.C. and the Elk Valley region in southeastern B.C.
The breeze chill made it feel like –50 C in regions of northern B.C. on Tuesday, with the agency predicting a wind chill value of –40 for Prince George overnight.
Also read: B.C. schools pass improved safety steps as students with particular requirements return to classes
The intensely frigid temperatures led to slabs of ice piling up on the Fraser River, very near to a famous city walking path in Quesnel, B.C.
“We’ve got slabs that have split away and just started creating close to the highway and close to where people walk,” stated Quesnel Fire Chief Ron Richert. Richert stated they had to close the low-lying street next to the river, the Johnston Bridge Loop, and turn traffic across nearby railway tracks on Tuesday. Source – cbc.ca
In a comment, a representative for Emergency Management B.C. stated the agency was “assessing” the position in the city, with Richert also stating further inspections would be done by the city subsequently in the week. Source – cbc.ca
