Waterloo Region weather: record-breaking glacial cold today

The extreme cold blanketing Waterloo Region on Friday shattered two temperature records, according to Environment Canada.

At 7:00 a.m., the temperature at the Region of Waterloo International Airport was -28 C, the coldest temperature on record for February 13 at the airport according to Rob Kuhn, a severe weather meteorologist for Environment Canada. The previous record was -23.7 C, set in 1997.

Kuhn says that the University of Waterloo weather station recorded a temperature of -30.3 C this morning, the first time in the last 100 years that a -30 temperature in Waterloo Region has been recorded this late in the calendar year.

A strong cold front has crossed southern Ontario bringing in much colder temperatures. The combination of cold temperatures and light winds will produce windchill values of -30 to -35 early this morning.

Morning: Mainly sunny. Increasing cloudiness this afternoon. Wind becoming southwest 20 kilometres per hour early this afternoon. High -11C. Windchill -32 this morning. 

Afternoon: Mix of sun and cloud, -12C with windchill at -20. 

Evening: Periods of snow. Amount 2 to 4 cm. Wind southwest 20 kilometres per hour becoming light after midnight. Temperature steady near -10C.