Intense cold coming to Metro Vancouver this weekend could last weeks, says The Weather Network

Do not put away your winter gear just yet.

A frigid arctic air mass that has brought record cold to Siberia is set to reach Metro Vancouver and the rest of B.C. by next weekend – and it could last weeks.

According to The Weather Network meteorologist Jessie Uppal, the polar vortex that sits over the North Pole has been especially intense over the past week due to an unusual jet stream locking the cold in place.

On Jan. 14 this led to a record minus 62.4 Celsius in Tongulakh, Siberia – the coldest day recorded anywhere in Russia over the past 20 years and roughly the temperature of an average day on Mars.

“The record cold was quite recent in Siberia — just last week.” Uppal said.