Ontario will actually be the coldest place on the planet this week
To end the dreaded and frigid work week, Ontario will briefly earn an extraordinary distinction on Friday: being the coldest place on the planet.
It's bad enough that southern Ontario was just buried in almost 40 cm of snow earlier this week, and Toronto temperatures are continuing to drop to - 29 degrees C.
Now we must suffer some more.
A rare and extremely cold airmass will settle over the province to close out the week. According to meteorologists, at about 5,000 meters above ground, temperatures are expected to drop to -50 C on Jan. 23 . This will mean Ontario will be the coldest place on Earth — great.
Friday: Coldest airmass on Earth will be centered over Ontario with mid-level temperatures of -50°C rarely observed except with most extreme Siberian cold.
— Ryan Maue (@RyanMaue) January 20, 2026
And we'll be given (almost) the "whole load" Polar Vortex -- until it comes back for Round 2 in another week. pic.twitter.com/mfsnnvHckW
But Ontario residents are nothing if not resilient. We've weathered worse, and we can get through this, too.
ccbl/Shutterstock
