Residents in Beausejour, Manitoba, are facing life‑threatening temperatures as a dense Arctic air mass brings wind chills near −50°C this weekend. Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) issued an orange extreme cold warning on January 24, 2026, saying the conditions will persist through Sunday morning. ECCC warned that frostbite can develop on exposed skin in as little as two minutes under these conditions.
The extreme, statistically rare cold has put local services on high alert to ensure public safety. The Sunrise School Division follows a weather-and-transportation policy that says bus cancellations and school closures are considered at −35°C (without wind chill) or −45°C (with wind chill), so bus service may be impacted. Meanwhile, the Rural Municipality of Brokenhead is monitoring municipal infrastructure and coordinating emergency response with local services; officials are watching for issues such as frozen or burst pipes and heating failures.
Beyond the immediate danger of the cold, provincial experts are concerned about how this weather might raise spring flood risk. Provincial flood information notes that deep ground frost — driven by extreme cold snaps — can act like a layer of concrete, preventing melting snow from soaking into the soil in spring and increasing runoff into local rivers and streams.
While Beausejour is known for its winter weather, historical records show that this level of extreme cold is rare for the region. Health and emergency officials are urging people to stay indoors and to check on vulnerable neighbours while the warning remains in effect.
