Shorter days are leading to longer bouts of artic cold in the southwest.

As the days have gotten shorter, the lack of sunlight has aided in the continued creeping chill from the arctic. 

The extreme wind chill that has come with the coolers temperatures is also a result of polar air being able to extend further south in the reduced daylight, leading to these last few days of bitter cold.

Meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, Terri Lang, is encouraging folks to limit any exposure outside during these frigid conditions.

"The conditions are considered dangerous, and you can get frostbite within five minutes on exposed skin," said Lang. "Hypothermia can set in, we're talking dangerous conditions here."

Be sure to bundle up outside, utilizing many layers if you do have to brave the cold. Frostbite can occur in mere minutes, on any exposed skin. The air between layers is what holds and insulates heat, so the more the merrier. 

"Make sure all exposed skin is covered," stressed Lang. "Hands, ears, the top of your head and your face as much as possible because it is so dangerous."

A windchill is a measure of how cold it feels, not how cold it really is. It simply indicates that a human being will lose heat at the same rate as if it really were the same temperature as the windchill, due to the wind aiding in heat loss. 

For example, if the temperature is -30 C outside, but the wind chill is -41 C, it is still only -30 C outside. The extra chill is only how cold the wind makes people feel, and won't affect vehicles or any other non-living things. 

Temperatures should be letting up soon, with tomorrow being the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year.