Fresh, brain-gnawing cold due in Yellowknife Monday night

Yellowknife’s momentary relief from the winter deep freeze is forecast to end on Monday night as temperatures dip back to -40C without wind chill.

For the past three days, Yellowknife has escaped what was otherwise a month-long stretch of almost unbroken nights below -30C. Friday’s high of -13C represented the city’s warmest day since mid-December.

However, Environment and Climate Change Canada expects Yellowknife to be back at -40C by Monday evening, accompanied by a wind chill dropping to -53.

Tuesday’s high is forecast to be -36C.

Similarly chilly Monday nights, though not quite so brutally cold, are forecast in Inuvik, Hay River, Fort Smith, Fort Simpson, and Norman Wells.

Inuvik and Norman Wells each experienced Sunday nights around -40C. Extreme cold warnings were issued for Beaufort Delta and Sahtu communities.

The rest of the week should be a little warmer in most of parts of the NWT.

Fort Smith, for example, is forecast to reach a high of -12C on Thursday.