Bitter cold to stay a little longer

A Loyalist student heads home from class early because of the bitterly cold temperatures Tuesday. Photo by Greg Murphy.

By Greg Murphy

BELLEVILLE – Weather alerts for Belleville and surrounding areas are expected to stay in effect for at least one more day.

Geoff Coulson, a meteorologist for Environment Canada, says the unusually bitter cold that has prompted a wind-chill alert for Belleville is the result of a “polar vortex.”

A polar vortex is a result of a year-round low-pressure system from the North Pole that flows south “every once in a while,” Coulson said. This year, the polar vortex has extended as far south as Jacksonville, Fla. The southern state of Kentucky is currently sitting at -16 degrees – colder than Belleville.

A few other winter-weather oddities have also been noted by Environment Canada.

At this time of year, the Ottawa Valley, Belleville and Quinte West typically experience colder temperatures than the rest of Southern Ontario, Coulson said – but this year, the southwestern reaches of Ontario are feeling the brunt of the chill.

Currently in Belleville, it is -15 with a wind chill of -28. Normally at this time of year, temperatures between -3 and -11 are expected, said Coulson.

More seasonable temperatures are expected for the weekend. Friday’s high is expected to be -2, rising to a possible 4 degrees by Sunday.

The wind-chill warning is expected to stay in effect until Wednesday, Coulson said.

There are no known weather-related hydro outages.