The wind chill right now and over the next three days, with the hours exposed skin is at risk — on Environment Canada's published scale, in plain words.
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How cold it actually feels in Hay River right now and over the next three days — the wind chill, and the hours when exposed skin is at risk. Worked out from the temperature and wind on Environment Canada's wind chill scale.
Right now · Hay River
Feels like 25°C
No cold risk — No risk from the cold right now.
No frostbite risk in the forecast
The coldest it feels over the next three days is 17°C.
Coldest 17°C, around 10 pm
No frostbite risk expected.
| Time | Feels like | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| midnight–midnight | 17°C | No cold risk |
Coldest 20°C, around 4 am
No frostbite risk expected.
| Time | Feels like | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| midnight–midnight | 20°C | No cold risk |
Coldest 17°C, around 5 am
No frostbite risk expected.
| Time | Feels like | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| midnight–midnight | 17°C | No cold risk |
How this is worked out
Wind chill is computed with Environment Canada’s wind chill formula from the hourly temperature and wind in the forecast — an area weather model, not a thermometer at your door. Real wind chill changes street by street with shelter, and frostbite times are for bare skin; wet skin, bare hands and a hard wind speed it up.
This is not an official cold warning
Extreme cold warnings come from Environment Canada, not this page. Check the official forecast and warnings below before you head out, especially on the land.
At a frostbite-risk wind chill, cover cheeks, nose, ears and hands — these freeze first. Mitts keep little hands warmer than gloves, and a scarf or balaclava over the face buys time at the stop.
If it's freezing exposed skin in minutes, it is hard on paws too. Keep it short, and watch for a lifted paw or limping.
The roads out of Hay River are long and empty in winter. Tell someone your route and when you'll be back, keep winter survival gear and a candle or extra warmth in the vehicle, and if you break down stay with it — it shelters you and it's easier to spot. Bare metal and a hard wind frostbite fast.
There is nothing to break the wind out on the ice, so the chill out there is harsher than in town. Check this before you go, dress for the open, and keep a way to warm up close at hand.
Hay River averages about 72 days a year with a wind chill below -30. Block heaters, layered clothing and a plan for getting around are part of normal winter life, and a cold snap can settle in for days.
In the Northwest Territories, Environment Canada issues an extreme cold warning when the temperature or the wind chill is expected to reach about -50 for at least two hours. This page shows a live model reading of how cold it feels; the official warning comes from Environment Canada, linked above.
A house cools fast once the heat is off, and outages have been more frequent on the NWT grid lately. In a cold snap, knowing how cold it feels outside — and having somewhere warm to go — matters. In Old Town, losing power can mean losing the water pump too.
Weather data: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0). Wind chill on Environment Canada’s scale. · Updated
Source: Open-Meteo forecast (CC BY 4.0); wind chill on Environment Canada's scale, checked 30 June 2026 (today).