Tuesday's frigid temperatures are the lowest Metro Vancouver has seen so far this winter, and Environment Canada says the bitter cold is here for the long haul.

According to the agency, temperatures at the Vancouver International Airport dropped as low as -8 during the morning hours.

By noon, the mercury had climbed to -1, but is expected to fall to -7 and will feel like -12 with wind chill overnight.

"Normals for Metro Vancouver at this time of year are highs of 7 C, lows of 1 C, and here today we had a low of -8 C this morning," said Environment Canada meteorologist Carmen Hartt.

That's less than one degree away from setting a new record for the coldest Feb. 5, which was set back in 1949 at -8.9 C.

The cold weather is especially dangerous for the homeless and other vulnerable members of the community.

On Monday evening, the City of Vancouver announced in a tweet that additional shelter space is being made available across the city and that warming centres are now open. A detailed schedule is available on the city's website.

Parts of the Fraser Valley, including Hope and Chilliwack, are under an arctic outflow warning that is producing wind chill values closer to -20 C.

"The winds are being funneled down the valley and they bring even more of that cold air and bring a wind chill effect," Hartt said.

Temperatures there are expected to warm during the day Tuesday, but dip down again at night.

The same high pressure system that is causing the unusually low temperatures in the region has also brought clear skies and sunny conditions.

Environment Canada is forecasting a chance of rain and flurries on Thursday and Friday, but skies are expected to be clear over the weekend and into next week, with daily highs rising just above the 0 C mark.

Temperatures are expected to remain below average for the rest of the February.

While many Metro Vancouverites could be seen bundled up in their parkas Tuesday, others didn't let the cold snap interrupt their routines.

Megan Doepker and Tim Basilyev start every Tuesday at 7:30 a.m. with a dip at Kitsilano Beach, and this week was no exception.

"I think today is the coldest morning of the year," Doepker said. "Last week we had frost and snow on the sand but it was a little warmer."

"It wakes you up right away," Basilyev added. "It's kind of like coffee and meditation at the same time."

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With files from CTV Vancouver's Allison Hurst