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Northern Canada has been gripped by an intense and prolonged cold spell, with thermometers lingering from 20 to 40 degrees below zero for multiple weeks. This week, the Yukon community of Braeburn saw the mercury drop to -55.7C, its coldest December temperature since 1975.

Prolonged Freeze Below -40C

In addition, the locales of Mayo and Dawson suffered through sixteen nights in a row colder than minus 40 degrees, with Mayo plunging to -50.4C at the start of the week. Whitehorse also recorded 10 nights when temperatures dropped below -30C.

The deep freeze spread farther south during the holiday season. On Christmas Day, overnight temperatures in Edmonton fell below -28C.

December 26th was anticipated to usher in minimum temperatures of at least minus 20C through a wide swath, from Edmonton in the west to Quebec in the east.

Likely to Linger into the New Year

This harsh winter weather is expected to continue through the start of January. Officials have warned that the Yukon could face electricity outages over the next several days, as the territory’s power grid comes under strain from record-high energy demand.

The lengthy cold snap originates from a stationary polar vortex above Canadian territory through December, allowing bitter Arctic air to spill south. In the coming week, forecasts indicate this cold air will pull back northward allowing more temperate air from the Pacific to sweep across the US and into parts of southern Canada.

Stark Contrast with US Warmth

Conversely, sections of America recorded the hottest December 25th in their history as the mercury climbed roughly 15 to 30 degrees above typical averages. For numerous locations, the weather resembled a spring day in April or May than late December.

Multiple states established new Christmas temperature highs. The capital of Oklahoma soared to 25C on Christmas Day, topping the prior high mark of 22 degrees established over forty years ago. Urban centers like Austin, Dallas, and Charlotte, North Carolina similarly saw thermometers rise past the 25C mark.

Atmospheric Ridge Drives the Heat

Unseasonable heat is predicted to persist on December 26th and into the weekend, with atypical high temperatures expected to spread across the southeastern US in the coming days.

The unseasonable temperatures are powered by a robust atmospheric ridge extending from the desert south-west towards the north and east, creating a heat-dome effect. Such a configuration results in a widespread high-pressure system over a large portion of North America, which holds warm air close to the ground. As air sinks through the atmosphere, it compresses and heats further, fostering the buildup of exceptional warmth.