Extreme cold one day, balmy the next: Alberta’s yo-yoing temperatures a literal headache for many

Rapid temperature swings caused by changing air pressure systems in Alberta don't just present cold exposure risks — they also leave many people with headaches and pains. But why?

Don’t like the weather? Wait five minutes.

It’s a common enough phrase during Alberta’s summer storm season, but this winter people across the province are also living through near-daily temperature swings ranging from bitterly cold to balmy and mild.

An extreme cold warning was issued by Environment Canada for Monday and Tuesday, but it will be lifted by Wednesday when the mercury is set to warm up to nearly 0 C.

It’s the second time this month extreme cold warnings have been issued in the province.

Last week, there were two days of -18 to -20 C, followed by a warm-up to single minus-digits on the weekend, before temperatures began to drop again on Monday. Come Wednesday, it could be back up to as mild as -2 C, Environment Canada said.

Natalie Hasell, a warning preparedness meteorologist with the national weather agency, said while these temperature swings are noticeable — they are not out of the ordinary.

“This is not unusual at all. Yes, temperatures are varying hugely compared to what we would consider seasonal — certainly -25 C is really cold and, compared to normal, it’s very different. Minus two, however, is not that far from normal. Your seasonal temperature around this time of year is -4 C for a daytime high,” Hasell said.

“We’ll see a little bit more variability as the week goes on: colder-than-normal conditions kind of settling in starting on Friday,” she said on Tuesday.