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Northern Canada has been gripped by a bitter and extended period of frigid weather, with temperatures hovering between -20C and -40C for an extended duration. On Tuesday, Braeburn in the Yukon recorded -55.7C, representing its most frigid December day in half a century.

Prolonged Freeze in the Deep Minus Forties

In addition, the locales of Mayo and Dawson suffered through over two straight weeks of nights colder than minus 40 degrees, with Mayo plunging to -50.4C at the start of the week. Whitehorse similarly reported a series of ten nights when the cold dipped under -30 Celsius.

This Arctic air mass pushed further southward through Christmas week. Christmas night saw Edmonton's temperatures plummet below minus 28C.

The day after Christmas was forecast to deliver lows of at least -20C across many regions, encompassing cities from Edmonton to Quebec.

Forecast to Persist For Days to Come

The frigid conditions are predicted to linger into the new year. Officials have warned that the Yukon could face electricity outages soon, as the territory’s power grid comes under strain from record-high energy demand.

This extended freeze is the result of the Arctic vortex settling over Canada for much of December, enabling a surge of icy Arctic winds to descend. The frigid dome is projected to gradually withdraw north gradually, enabling milder Pacific air to move across America and reach into portions of southern Canada.

Stark Contrast Compared to Stateside Temperatures

Conversely, sections of America recorded the hottest December 25th in their history as temperatures soared about 15-30C above the seasonal average. In many areas, conditions felt more typical of April or May instead of the heart of winter.

Several states set Christmas Day temperature records. In Oklahoma, Oklahoma City hit 25C on Tuesday, surpassing the previous peak of 22C set in 1982. Metropolitan areas such as Austin, Dallas, and Charlotte were also among those that recorded temperatures above 25C.

Atmospheric Ridge Fuels Warmth

Above-average warmth is expected to continue on December 26th and into the weekend, with abnormal warmth projected to move through the American Southeast soon.

The warmth has been fuelled by a powerful high-altitude ridge stretching from the southwestern deserts northward and eastward, creating a heat-dome effect. This setup creates an extensive zone of high atmospheric pressure blanketing a significant part of the landmass, effectively capping warm air at lower altitudes. Sinking atmospheric air undergoes compression and additional heating, allowing unusually warm temperatures to build.