Coldest January in 8 years can't keep these Kitchener-Waterloo residents inside
If the start of 2022 has felt particularly frigid to you, your instincts are correct.
Experts at the University of Waterloo weather station say it's the coldest January the region has seen in almost a decade.
"You have to go back to 2014 to find a colder January on record," said Frank Segleniek, University of Waterloo weather station coordinator.
Segleniek explained with just a few days left to go, the first month of 2022 has been about 3.4 degrees colder than the 30-year January average of - 6.5 C.
It feels especially icy in contrast to recent years.
"If you go back to last year, this January is going to be six degrees colder than it was last January," Segleniek said. "And a full eight degrees colder than the January two years before that."
And while the streets may seem empty when it gets this cold, CTV Kitchener didn't have to look far to find people embracing the brisk winter air on Wednesday.
"It's a perfect day for a run in my opinion. The sun is out," said runner Heather Meadley. " You bundle up and it's not that bad at all."
Runner Heather Meadley hits the trails despite the chill on Wednesday. (CTV News Kitchener/Spencer Turcotte)
The freezing conditions were no match for walker James Skidmore.
"I grew up in Saskatchewan, Saskatoon actually," said walker James Skidmore, noting he may have even “overdressed” for the temperature. "This is a nice spring day."
People who had no choice about whether to be outside in the cold were also looking on the bright side.
"You don't have to worry about sweating too much," said construction worker Mike Sauntry. "It's a lot easier to stay hydrated."
Cool air has its benefits when you're hard at work like this construction crew. (Spencer Turcotte/CTV Kitchener)
As for those who prefer things a little warmer, there's good news.
The University of Waterloo weather station is forecasting temperatures closer to seasonal heading into February.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.
Powerful tornado tears across Nebraska, weather service warns of 'catastrophic' damage
Devastating tornadoes tore across parts of eastern Nebraska and northeast Texas Friday as a multi-day severe thunderstorm event ramped up in the central United States.