Temperatures are expected to plunge into the minus teens in Saskatchewan this week as a frigid polar vortex sweeps across Western Canada.
The temperature in Regina was -15 C on Monday morning, but the wind chill made it feel like -23 C. Saskatoon was slightly warmer at -13 C with a wind chill of -21 C.
Environment Canada says there’s a 60 per cent chance of flurries and a forecasted low of -15 C for both cities Monday.
The polar vortex is expected to bring the coldest temperatures of the season, along with freezing rain or snow for many of the affected areas.
Forecasters say the polar vortex will engulf much of Canada and the continental United States in the days ahead, and bring the first true chill of winter with it.
Weather experts say Typhoon Nuri is the main culprit behind the big chill, as the tropical storm's presence over Alaska is forcing a cyclone of cold Arctic air to shift south in a "polar vortex" effect.
The polar vortex is a large pocket of intense cold air that typically sits over the North Pole. However, weather patterns occasionally shift that pocket south, resulting in a sharp, prolonged dip in temperature over the area affected.
Canadians last felt the icy grip of the polar vortex in January, when a deep freeze settled over the country for weeks.
With files from CTVNews.ca Staff
