Chilly Arctic air keeping Toronto under extreme cold warning as city prepares for 2018

Toronto will enter a new yearon a very chilly note while the city remainsunder an extreme cold warning, Environment Canada says.

That means bone-chilling temperatures onNew Year's Eve and New Year's Day. Toronto is forecast to have extremely cold windchills on the next two consecutive nights.

Mark Schuster, meteorologist for Environment Canada based in Toronto, said the forecast is calling for a high of 15 C, with windchill values in the20son Sunday afternoon, and a low of 22 C, with a windchill value of30on Sunday evening.

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On Monday, the very first day of 2018, the forecast is calling for a high of 9 Cwith windchill values in the20sduring the day, and a low of 22 C with a windchill value of 30 in the evening.

"Anyone who is out doing anything to doNew Year's Eve will likely have to deal with very cold windchills," Schustersaid on Sunday. "The best thing to do is try to limityour time outside."

The extremely cold weather is unusual thisearly in winter, he said.

"It's not unusual to get these kind of cold snaps. But to get them so early in the winter season isfairly unusual. Normally, you would see this kind of weather later in January or into February."

The record for Dec. 31st, set in 1962, at Toronto's Pearson International Airport is 23.3 C.

"It looks like we might come close to it," he said.

Warning may last until Tuesday

In its extreme cold warning, Environment Canada says Arctic air is gripping all of Ontario. That means frigid air from northern Canada is keeping Toronto cool.

"Right now, it'scoming right out of the Arctic, so it'smuch colder than if the airwere coming from the South," he said.

Schuster said the extreme cold warning may be extended right throughuntil Tuesday morning, when the extreme cold air mass will begin to make its way out of the region. Temperatures will begin to moderate then, he said. On Tuesday, the high is forecast to be7 C.

Extreme cold warnings are issued for the Toronto area when windchills are expected to be 30 or colder.

Below normal temperatures may persist up untilJanuary 10th, he added. Currently, temperatures are running more than 10 degrees below normal.

Revellers need to take care this NYE

Meanwhile, a Toronto public health official is urging revellers on New Year's Eveto be a little more careful this year than in the years past, given the extremely cold temperatures in the forecast.

That means staying warm anddry, drinking in moderation and not exposing oneself to the cold for prolongedperiods of time.

Christine Navarro, associate medical officer of health at Toronto Public Health, toldCBCToronto that people will need to wearlayers of woolen and waterproof clothing and goinside from time to time where the air is heated.

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"So if you are planning on spending some time outside, whether it's out celebrating, or working in the outdoors, make sure that you go inside periodically to a warm building and make sure that you warm up," shesaid this week.

"Wear your hat, your gloves, your mitten, warm boots, waterproof jacket. Dress in layers."

3 drinks for women, 4 drinks for men

Navarro says people out on the town on New Year's Eve should drink in moderation.

• What to do when you don't drink alcohol on New Years Eve

"You can always alternate with hot chocolate, coffee or tea to keep you warm during the celebrations," she said.

According to Canada's low-risk alcohol drinking guidelines, people can reduce risks of injury and harm by having no more than three drinks for women and no more than four drinks for men, on special occasions such as New Year's Eve.

Watch out forfrostbite, hypothermia

Navarro says frostbite and hypothermia are two consequences of being exposed to the cold for prolonged periods of time, she says.

• Everything you need to know about frostbite

Frostbite iswhen the skin or underlying tissues freeze and the freezing doesn't allow blood and oxygentocirculate. Symptoms include red and cold skin, prickling and numbness, tingling of fingers, nose and toes and stinging.Skin may start to turn white, but is still soft.

Hypothermia is a body temperature of less than 35 C. Symptoms include confusion,lethargy,memory loss, slurred speech, difficulty speaking and drowsiness.

In both cases, it could be a medical emergency, Navarro says.The person needsto be brought indoors and should receivemedical attention.