Elderly Alberta woman dies after being trapped outside in frigid weather

Freezing temperatures and poor weather conditions that have hit the Prairies in recent days are believed to have contributed to a woman's death in central Alberta.

Paramedics say a woman in her 80s was trapped for at least an hour outside a rural home near Didsburyon Monday.

She had tripped getting out of her vehicle and her leg became pinned so she couldn't get up.

She was found by a family member, suffering from both injuries and exposure to the cold.

Shedied in a Calgary hospital after she was flown there by STARS air ambulance.

Temperatures across much of Alberta and Saskatchewan have been near 20 C with wind chill making it feel much colder.

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The deep freeze has prompted school boards to remind parents to make sure their children are dressed warmly as they wait for buses.

The Calgary Alpha House Society's outreach team is also taking extra precautions during the cold snap, especially since the shelters fill up quickly.

The mobile team works to get people struggling with addictions off the streets and connected with a range of programs.

In Calgary, the weather has also forced the temporary closure ofWinSportas well as the Calgary Zoo'sZoolightsdisplay.

David Phillips, senior climatologist with Environment Canada, said this week's temperatures will be colder than anything Calgary saw over the past two years, and the cold snap could last forup to two weeks.

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