Residents of Sandy Bay First Nation (Marius), Manitoba, are being warned of dangerous cold on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, as temperatures and wind chills have created a high risk of frostbite in minutes. Although Environment and Climate Change Canada’s alerts portal shows no active warning for the area, the local forecast and observations flag a strong frostbite risk for anyone spending time outdoors.
Local observations in the research brief show temperatures near −25.6°C this morning with wind chills around −34°C. Manitoba’s Extreme Cold Warning threshold is typically a wind chill of −40°C for the Prairies/southern Manitoba; because today’s conditions sit below that threshold the national Alert-Ready ‘warning’ banner is not triggered, even though exposed skin can develop frostbite in as little as 10–30 minutes depending on conditions.
Sandy Bay Health Centre is advising residents to watch for numbness or changes in skin colour on fingers, toes, ears and the face and to take precautions when waiting for buses or checking mail. The research brief also notes that the absence of a formal ‘warning’ banner can contribute to public complacency — analysts and local health staff say that could increase the risk that people underestimate near-threshold cold events.
Sandy Bay Public Works are reported to be on standby to respond to potential frozen water lines or vehicle breakdowns caused by the sub-zero temperatures. Forecasts in the brief indicate the most severe cold is expected to persist through the morning, followed by a minor warming trend and a system that could bring snow to the area by Jan. 31, 2026.
