A high pressure system pushing a mass of arctic air is going to make for one of the coldest weeks of the year.

Temperatures dropped last night and it will be chilly tonight before a brief reprieve on Tuesday.

Meteorologist Veronica Sullivan at the Gander Weather Office says the few days after Tuesday will be bitterly cold on the island.

There will be widespread wind chills of minus 40 in central Newfoundland Wednesday night and Thursday, minus 40 on the Great Northern Peninsula and minus 20 for the Avalon. The situation begins to improve on Friday.

Labrador already got a taste of the bone-chilling cold on the weekend before a slight warmup. Frostbite weather strikes again beginning tonight.

“We’re looking at windchills of minus 40 for Labrador West but it could be minus 45,” says Sullivan.

“The Labrador coast, from Nain to L’Anse au Loup, will experience wind chills of minus 35.”

Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro says it is ready for the deep freeze, and is confident that it will be able to meet demand.