'Things start to freeze up': the challenges of dealing with extreme cold

We shouldn’t be surprised by extreme cold weather in our province, but as we head into Christmas weekend, the frigid forecast is on the mind for many.

“Things start to freeze up. Equipment starts to freeze up; harder for them to move. Firefighters lose dexterity in their hands,” said Rob Hogan, deputy fire chief with the Saskatoon Fire Department.

There have been situations in the winter when they’ve had to haul frozen hose back to station on a flat deck because it’s frozen solid and won’t roll up, according to Hogan.

They also need to call in extra staff to rotate more often so staff can warm up.

Hogan has talked to colleagues in places like Florida and learned they won’t respond in extreme weather like a hurricane.

“We couldn’t think about a time when we couldn’t go to a call. Maybe a tornado, but it would have to be right during the tornado,” he says.

Environment and Climate Change Canada is projecting below normal temperatures around -30 and -40 with the windchill through this week.

“The cold has settled in across western Canada from BC to Manitoba, so no matter where you go, it’s pretty darn cold,” Terri Lang, Meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, told CTV News.

Lang recalls last Christmas being cold also, but on the upside, this year things improve Christmas Day.

“The longer range after Christmas Day is looking above seasonal with mid minus teens which is going to feel tropical compared to the minus 30s that we’re going to experience,” she said.

But until that happens, we have to get through the coming days first.

With so many newcomers arriving to our province who may not be used to the cold, Lang has this reminder.

“Limit the amount of time you spend outdoors just because when the windchills get to that -40 mark, the frostbite can set in very quickly and your skin can freeze in less than 5 minutes,” she warns.

The extremes are all part of the Saskatchewan experience according to Lang.

“We have some of the biggest temperatures swings on the planet from summer to winter. We can go from -40 to +40,”she said.

And with that temperature swing, those who work outside, like fire crews, will continue to tough it out to protect and serve.

The deputy fire chief does have a weather preference for fighting fires.

“Cold because you can dress for it. In the summer there’s air conditioning and that’s it. So i guess for me, I like the winter better,” Hogan said.