A cold weather alert remains in place and Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement as frigid temperatures hit southwestern Ontario.

The Middlesex-London Health Unit issued the sixth cold weather alert of 2015 on Thursday, as daytime lows for the next few days are forecast in the -20 C range with frigid wind chills.

The health unit's cold weather alert continues until Tuesday, when highs are expected to be closer to -8 C.

Meanwhile Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for all of southern Ontario, warning of bitterly cold Arctic air over the weekend.

Several new record lows for temperatures were set on Friday, including in Wiarton where the temperature hit -32 C,  breaking a record of -29.1 C set in 1979.

In Guelph, a temperature of -28.9 C was recorded – matching the lowest ever seen in that city on Feb. 13, last experienced in 1899 - that's 116 years ago.

Now after a brief reprieve Friday night and Saturday morning - during which an Alberta clipper is expected to bring a few centimetres of snow and possible snow squalls - a sharp Arctic cold front is expected on Saturday afternoon.

Forecasters say gusty northerly winds will bring temperatures to near -20 C or below by Sunday morning, and wind chills warnings are possible.

Environment Canada says temperatures should finally slowly start to rise on Family Day, as a high pressure ridge finally cuts off the frigid northerly flow.