Toronto will feel like -29 C this week as Arctic air sweeps in

Although Toronto enjoyed some relatively mild temperatures to kick off the new year, things are about to take an extreme turn for the worse, as a surge of Arctic air will send temperatures plummeting and push wind chill numbers into hazardous territory. 

According to The Weather Network's seven-day forecast, Wednesday will bring a daytime high of -2 degrees C, but it'll feel closer to -8 C with the wind chill. Overnight lows will drop to -5 C and feel more like -13 C. 

On Thursday, daytime highs will drop to -4 C (-12 C with the wind chill) before plunging overnight to -12 C (feeling more than -22 C). 

Friday's forecast is even more frigid, with a high (yes, high) of just -12 C, and a wind chill that'll make it feel closer to -19 C during the day. By Saturday morning, temperatures will drop to a bone-chilling -22 C, feeling more like -29 C with the wind. 

Saturday's daytime high is expected to sit around -15 C (feeling like -21 C), with evening temperatures dipping to -18 C (-27 C with the wind chill). Sunday will bring a high near -12 C during the afternoon and a morning low of -17 C. 

By Monday, temperatures are expected to improve slightly, with a daytime high of -10 C and a low of -14 C, although wind chill will make it feel like between -21 C and -16 C during the day. Sub-zero daytime highs are expected to carry on throughout the few days of February, based on the channel's 14-day forecast for Toronto. 

Before the frigid temperatures sweep in, another round of snow is headed for southern Ontario on Wednesday. Anywhere from five to 10 centimetres is expected, although communities off Lake Huron and Georgian Bay may see higher totals. 

According to The Weather Network, a "surge of frigid Arctic air" is responsible for the upcoming temperatures, with some communities preparing to see hazardous wind chill values in the minus 30s and even below the minus 40 mark. 

While the next few weeks will be tough, a "gradual recovery in temperatures" is expected as we inch closer to February. Still, more blasts of Arctic air are expected so while there will be brief bursts of tolerable weather, you might want to pack on some extra layers for the foreseeable future. 

Temperatures are expected to near seasonal averages by early February, although colder-than-normal temperatures could return later in the month.