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Northern Canada has been gripped by an intense and prolonged cold spell, with readings persisting between -20C and -40C for multiple weeks. On Tuesday, Braeburn in the Yukon recorded -55.7C, marking its chilliest December reading in nearly five decades.

Consecutive Nights of Extreme Cold

In addition, the locales of Mayo and Dawson suffered through sixteen nights in a row below -40C, with the temperature in Mayo bottoming out at -50.4 degrees Celsius earlier this week. The capital, Whitehorse, likewise saw 10 nights when temperatures dropped below -30C.

The deep freeze spread farther south during the holiday season. Christmas night saw Edmonton's temperatures plummet below minus 28C.

Boxing Day was expected to bring lows of at least -20C in numerous areas, encompassing cities from Edmonton to Quebec.

Expected to Continue Through Early January

The frigid conditions are predicted to linger into the new year. Officials have warned that the Yukon could face electricity outages in the coming days, as the territory’s power grid comes under strain from peak power usage levels.

The prolonged chill has been caused by the polar vortex remaining anchored above Canadian territory through December, allowing bitter Arctic air to spill south. Next week, the cold air mass is expected to retreat north gradually, enabling milder Pacific air to move across the United States and penetrate southern Canadian regions.

Dramatic Difference with US Warmth

Meanwhile, in a dramatic contrast, areas of the United States saw historically high temperatures for Christmas as the mercury climbed roughly 15 to 30 degrees above typical averages. Across wide regions, the atmosphere was more akin to late spring than late December.

Multiple states established new Christmas temperature highs. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, reached 25 degrees Celsius on Christmas, exceeding the old record of 22C from 1982. Metropolitan areas such as Austin, Dallas, and Charlotte were also among those that recorded temperatures above 25C.

Heat-Dome Effect Sustains High Temperatures

Unseasonable heat is predicted to persist for the remainder of the week and beyond, 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 stretching from the southwestern deserts northward and eastward, creating a heat-dome effect. This pattern establishes a broad area of high pressure blanketing a significant part of the landmass, which holds warm air close to the ground. Sinking atmospheric air undergoes compression and additional heating, fostering the buildup of exceptional warmth.