Frigid weather, extreme wind chill smack Calgary

Calgary EMS is warning people to bundle up after extreme wind chills of close to -50 C delayed C-Trains and flights, cancelled classes anddrained car batteries.

The morning commute was a bit longer than usual on Monday as Calgary Transit announced delays of about 20 minutes on all LRT lines. Delays in thecity's northeast ran about 30 minutes.

Track switches were not working in various locations because of the cold, butoperations had returned to normal by 2:30 p.m., said transit officials.

The cold weather was also slowing flights throughCalgary International Airport, said spokeswoman Jody Moseley. She suggested passengers check with their airlines before going tothe airport.

Westjet spokeswoman Gillian Bentley said de-icing planes in the extreme cold wasdelaying about five per cent of its flightsin Calgary, Saskatoon, Reginaand Halifax.

Snow and blistering winds reaching 60 km/hushered in the cold snap on Sunday.Environment Canada said an Arctic ridge brought the deep freeze,whichis forecast to continue through the week.

The Foothills School Division, south of Calgary,saidits schools will be open Tuesday but buses will not be running in town or in ruralareas including High River, Okotoks and Black Diamond.

School was cancelled Monday ina fewCalgary-area divisions including Golden Hills which covers public schools in Strathmore and Carseland and Livingstone Range, which cancelled classes in Pincher Creek, Lundbreck and Crowsnest Pass.

The Calgary Board of Education is asking parents to check with its website for the latest school-bus cancellations and delays. Many drivers had trouble getting their buses started on Monday.

Calgary police are urging motorists not to leave their cars running for any length of time to avoid having them stolen.

Drivers with dead batteries in their vehicles were waiting up to 90 minutes for a boost, some tow truck companies said Monday.

Conditionsidealfor frostbite

Stuart Brideaux, spokesman for Calgary EMS, said the frigid temperatures create a real risk for frostbite, which issignalled by localized pain, numbness and blackened skin.

"Frostbite is frozen skin or frozen tissue and you can prevent that by dressing appropriately using gloves and tuques, scarves, neck-warmers, and checking yourself and others periodically when you are out in extended periods of cold weather for signs and symptoms of frostbite before it progresses too rapidly," he said.

Calgary firefighters worked in temperatures of -28 C to put out a tractor fire in the southeast Sunday night. Crews rotated tasks to stay warm, said the fire department. Arson investigators have been called in.

Shelters welcome all

About 1,000 people sought shelter in the Calgary Drop-In Centre on Sunday night but the night supervisor, Tim Gorman, said no one was turned away.

"Certainly around shelters at this time of year and especially around those extremely cold days, there's a sense of nervousness and tension. We certainly don't want anyone to be outside and to freeze outside and so that's all of our fear," said Gorman.

He said the extra spaces provided by the emergency shelter in the Foothills Industrial Park helped prevent a shortage of shelter for the city's homeless people.