The meteorological services of the United States and Canada redoubled alarming alerts on Friday in the face of polar temperatures which could reach minus 50 degrees in the American northeast and eastern Canada, under glacial winds.

“This is an epic arctic cold snap,” never seen on a generational scale, especially “something northern and eastern Maine hasn’t seen since 1982 and 1988” , noted the National Weather Service (NWS).

In parts of the North East and New England, temperatures under a freezing wind “may reach their lowest levels in decadesif not the lowest on record,” the NWS warned.

Thermometers in Montreal hit -41ºC

On the other side of the border, polar cold warnings issued for eastern Canadaaccording to the Ministry of the Environment, which warned of the risk of freezing within minutes.

In Montreal, Friday afternoon, the temperature reached -41ºC. The mercury could drop to -50°C in northern Quebec. A white smoke, called “Arctic sea smoke”, rose on the St. Lawrence. Lawrence due to the extreme cold passing over the unfrozen water.

Strong gusts of wind battered the few passers-by in sunny downtown Montreal on Friday.

The electricity company “Hydro-Quebec” urged customers to save energy.

In the capital, Ottawa, organizations like the Salvation Army distributed high mountain sleeping bags to the unhoused homelessto withstand temperatures down to -40°C.

Dog owners were advised to keep dogs in warm places.

In the city, visibility was near zero on Thursday evening due to snowfall coupled with high winds.

Temperatures are expected to rise on Sunday.

Rain, snow, thunderstorms, polar cold and humid heat: The northeastern United States is subject to extreme weather events throughout the year, resulting in loss of life and property damage.

Recently, over the 2022 Christmas weekend, a snowstorm hit the city of Buffalo in upstate New York, killing dozens of people.