So, just how cold is it?

Students at Sam Sherratt Public School in Milton bundle up from the cold during recesss. Andrew Wallace/Toronto Star

With Toronto in the middle of a deep freeze and the City issuing an extreme cold weather alert, the frigid temperatures are a reliable topic of conversation.

Next time you're struggling to make small talk during an awkward elevator ride, try out a few of these cold weather facts from Environment Canada:

• The average daily temperature for a January day in Toronto is around -4C with a daily high of about -1C and a daily low of -7C.
• That's much warmer than the temperatures predicted for this weekend: today's high is set to hit just -8C and on Sunday, the mercury is only expected to reach a high of -13C. 
• The current wind chill index — which represents the feeling of cold on your skin, and not the actual temperature — was developed in 2001 by scientists from Canada and the United States.
• Taking the winds into account, it felt like a bracing -21C overnight from Friday to Saturday. At that temperature you're at risk for hypothermia if outside for prolonged periods without proper protective clothing.
• When the wind chill dips below -27C you run the added risk of frost bite. From temperatures of -28 to -39, exposed skin can freeze in 10 to 30 minutes. 
• But if you think this cold snap is bad, be thankful you weren't in Kugaaruk, Nunavut on Jan. 13, 1975, when winds of 56 km/h made the air temperature of -51C feel like -78C.

Armed with this knowledge, go forth and make some distinctly Canadian conversation. 

-- Christine Dobby, Staff Reporter