Arctic air mass brings extreme temperatures to Sask.

Saskatchewan is experiencing extreme cold temperatures on Thursday.

An orange cold warning has been issued for most of the province, meaning the severe weather is likely to cause significant damage, disruption or health impacts.

Every region, except for the southwest corner, is under a warning about extremely low temperatures. With wind chill, it's expected to feel as cold as –40 C in some areas, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) said.

In some northern communities, the wind is expected to make it feel as cold as –50 C tonight.

In Regina, The Circle Project (TCP) is helping protect vulnerable people who find themselves out in the extreme temperatures.

Housing manager Elvie Stonechild said the group offers hot soup, warm drinks and bagged lunches. The TCP outreach team is available to help with essential needs.

“They have jackets, scarves, mitts and toques, even hand warmers … one lady was so cold, we gave her those [and] you just snap them and they're hand warmers and they put them in their gloves just to warm up,” Stonechild said.

“So, we try to meet their needs at that time and then try to help as best we can.”

ECCC suggests that people who are outdoors should dress in layers, and cover up any exposed skin, as frostbite can develop in minutes, particularly with wind chill.

Emergency supplies should be kept in all vehicles, like extra blankets and jumper cables.

ECCC meteorologist James Colangelo said the consistency of the low temperatures across the prairies comes from higher winds where temperatures are warmer, evening out the wind chill.

"We have a weather pattern right now that's characterized by a really sharp dip in the jet stream," Colangelo said. "Right now we're seeing the coldest air kind of up north, but as the days move on here, it starts to to move south … It's likely we won't see a reprieve from the cold probably until Monday at the earliest."

School bus cancellations

School buses were cancelled this morning for all public schools in Saskatoon.

Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools cancelled buses for elementary school students in Saskatoon, Warman and Martensville, as well as for some high school students from Martensville and Warman. Intensive-needs high school buses in Saskatoon were also cancelled.

Regina Public Schools cancelled transportation with specialized equipment for wheelchairs, but said all other school transportation would operate.

Fear of frostbite, exposure

“I'm really concerned,” said Sarah Kozusko, pharmacy manager at the Queen City Wellness Pharmacy in Regina. Her business lets people in from the street in the daytime to stay warm.

“We have a couple hours in the day where there's literally nowhere to go. So –50 you know, all the warming shelters close at 7 a.m. No other businesses, including us, open until 9 a.m. There is nowhere for people to go for those hours, and nobody can be outside for an hour or two at –50.”

Kozusko said she has already seen people dealing with severe frostbite this winter. She said the city has done good work to increase warming capacity, but it isn’t enough yet, as she continues to see more people without homes than ever.

“There's been a lot of fires from people using unsafe heat sources in spaces that these heat sources don't belong, in order to stay warm,” Kozusko said. “People may be in houses that are unsafe for them to be in, both structurally, but also because of the company that they keep in those houses in order to stay warm.”

Several days of cold expected

ECCC said the cold snap is due to an Arctic air mass pulling into the province bringing colder and windier conditions. It's expected to last for the next several nights.

A multi-day episode of very cold wind chills is expected.

This comes just after widespread advisories of blowing snow, when this weather system first hit the province.

Maple Creek, Fox Valley, Eastend and Shaunavon are some of the few communities not included in the warning.

"It extends all the way from basically North Dakota and north all the way up to the Arctic," Colangelo said. "So that's kind of why it's taking a while to kind of clear out, as that cold air extends so far across the country."