Plunging temperatures and strong winds made it feel like nearly –50 C in some parts of Manitoba on Friday, as winter returned with a vengeance.

Environment Canada issued wind chill warnings for most of southern Manitoba, including Winnipeg, the Red River Valley, and the Brandon and Dauphin areas.

Morning temperatures in the Manitoba capital dipped as low as –36 C. With the wind chill, it felt like –48. By 3 p.m., the mercury rose to –28, but that felt like –35 with the wind chill factored in.

Meteorologist Rob Paula said it has been a while since Manitobans have felt this kind of chill.

"[It's] the coldest we've had all winter, and in fact, today is colder than any temperature we recorded all of last winter," Paula said.

"This is the coldest temperature at the [Winnipeg] airport since January 2005. So, it's been a couple of years since we've seen temperatures this cold."

Many schools in the province closed for the day, while bus service was cancelled for students in Winnipeg.

Poor, homeless in need of clothes

Officials with a downtown Winnipeg mission worried about the impact the bitter cold could have on the poor and homeless.

"The shelters are full, and we've already lost one of our patrons this winter to hypothermia, and so we get pretty scared," said John Mohan, the executive director of the Siloam Mission.

Mohan said the mission is running out of warm clothing to distribute, as most of it was handed out a couple of months ago.

Donations of men's clothing is most urgently needed, as 80 per cent of those who come through the mission's doors are men.

"I think eighty per cent of the clothing that's donated to us is women's clothing," Mohan said.

"The men, as a rule, don't like to wear women's clothing, so we end up coming up short."

Siloam Mission also needs donations of gloves, hats, men's boots and extra-large jackets. Donations can be dropped off at 300 Princess Street.

Dress in layers, avoid frostbite

The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority recommends that those who must go outdoors should dress in layers and cover as much skin as possible to prevent frostbite.

Ryan Mitchell, who works at RNM Fencing and Snow Removal, said he layers up in this kind of weather.

"Oh, I would say thermal underwear, two pairs of sweats, a couple hoodies, a sweater, overalls, thick ski-pants type thing," Mitchell said Friday. "In this cold, you got to wear a balaclava."

He said the cold makes the snow harder and more compact, and therefore harder to clear.

Frozen pipes, failing furnaces

Meanwhile, plumbers and heating technicians had one of their busiest days of the year, dealing with countless frozen pipes and failing furnaces.

Dave Megaw, the manager at Gallery Heating and Air Conditioning, said customers with no heat take priority.

"We should be able to deal with those within about six to eight hours," he said.

Megaw said the cold weather puts an added strain on furnaces, and those that are not in good shape are the ones that break down.