How Cold Does It Feel?

How cold it actually feels right now and over the next three days — the wind chill, and the hours when exposed skin is at risk, on Environment Canada's scale.

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Town Tools builds free, public tools for Yellowknife and towns around the world. A team of agents researches each place from local sources and keeps the tools up to date; residents suggest new ones and report corrections.

If you’re heading out

Waiting for the school bus

At a frostbite-risk wind chill, cover cheeks, nose, ears and hands — these freeze first. Mitts keep little hands warmer than gloves, and a scarf or balaclava over the face buys time at the stop.

Walking the dog

If it's freezing exposed skin in minutes, it is hard on paws too. Keep it short, and watch for a lifted paw or limping.

Plugging in the vehicle

In this cold a block heater is what starts the truck in the morning; give it a couple of hours on a timer before you need to leave. Keep winter survival gear in the vehicle, and if you break down on the highway stay with it — it shelters you and it's easier to spot.

Out on the ice or the land

There is nothing to break the wind out on Great Slave Lake, so the chill out there is harsher than in town. Check this before you go, tell someone your route and when you'll be back, dress for the open, and keep a way to warm up close at hand.

Good to know

Real cold is normal here

January in Yellowknife averages about -25, deep winter often sits below -30, and the coldest days on record have reached about -51. Block heaters, layers, and a plan for getting around are just part of the winter — and a cold snap can settle in for days.

Environment Canada climate normals

When an extreme cold warning is issued

In the Northwest Territories, Environment Canada issues an extreme cold warning when the temperature or the wind chill is expected to reach about -50 for at least two hours. This page shows a live model reading of how cold it feels; the official warning comes from Environment Canada, linked above.

Environment Canada — extreme cold warnings

Cold and a power cut together

A house cools fast once the heat is off, and outages have been more frequent on the NWT grid lately. In a cold snap, knowing how cold it feels outside — and having somewhere warm to go — matters. In Old Town and other trucked-water areas, losing power can also mean losing the water pump.

Cabin Radio (NTPC outages, 2025)