On December 1, 1919, Airdrie's temperature plummeted to -32.2 degrees Celsius. Tonight, the city may shatter that 103-year-old record.

Although many residents may have felt the stinging bite of cold on their cheeks and tips of their toes and fingers over the past several days, according to Natalie Hazel, a warning preparedness meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, wind chill temperatures are not factored in when looking at record highs or lows.

"Tonight's temperature is -32 in the forecast. So, if we look at the records, that might actually be that might be where your record happens. It could be tonight. This is the brace yourself moment," she said.

While tonight's forecast may send one's teeth chattering, the start of the weekend is promising much milder temperatures, with a high of -9 degrees Celsius on Saturday and a high of -3 on Sunday. Hazel said that because the cloud cover will be clearing in the Airdrie and Calgary area throughout the day, there will be no cloud cover overnight, which may contribute to the frigid weather.

"That clearing is why it will be so cold tonight, as you are in the Arctic airmass. There won't be very many or any clouds to protect you from heat escaping from the surface," Hazel said. 

With a possible century-old record being broken tonight, residents are also reminded that their vehicles should also be looked after in such extreme cold.

“When it’s -15 or colder, plugging in your vehicle three to four hours before driving can be the difference between an engine that starts and an engine that doesn’t,” said Ryan Lemont, Manager of Alberta Motor Association Driver education. “If you don’t have that option, ensure you have a newer battery—about three years or less—and use synthetic oil.”

The AMA also recommends that one's gas tank is at least half full and motorists should consider using gas-line antifreeze if their vehicle frequently moves from warm to cold environments, such as a heated garage to an outdoor parking lot.

Although we may very well be close to breaking the 1919 record for temperature, it's too bad we couldn't be on par with breaking the 1988 record for the high - when it was a spring-like 15.2 degrees.

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