Everybody is good at something, so it just makes sense that every place should be able to make the same claim, and when it comes to extreme, bitter cold, Alberta is number one. 

Actually, individual places in Alberta trailed Jakutsk, Russia in the race for the world's coldest place yesterday (December 27), according to the website WXNow which tracks such things.  Jakutsk came in with a finger and toe freezing minus 47 celsius.  However, as a province, Alberta put our Russian friends to shame.  Twelve of the 15 coldest places on the face of the earth yesterday were in Alberta and two of the other three were also close by in Saskatchewan with Spiritwood West coming in seventh position and Leader sitting in 13th. 

All of the other frosty locations were in Alberta, the result of an Extreme Cold Warning that still envelopes most of the province.  Grande Prairie at minus 43 C, Edson and Edmonton, both with minus 41 C, and Sundre with minus 40 C all made the top five among coldest places.

Rocky Mountain House, Jasper, Calgary, Red Deer, High Level, Whitecourt, Three Hills and Waterton Park also cracked (ie, the sound of ice breaking) the top 15.

The temperature at the Calgary airport, which also serves as Airdrie's official weather station, was a bone-chilling minus 38 C.

While chances are that Alberta might not dominate the coldest places in the world again today, we will still need to keep the car plugged in and the furnace running as the extreme cold will continue. 

Today, Environment Canada is calling for cloudy skies of the Peace Country with the temperature falling to -27 C this afternoon and windchills around -27 C.  The low for tonight will be -35 C with windchills around -45 C.  

For more on the regional forecasts click here.

coldest places in the world - dec 27, 2021