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Northern Canada has been gripped by a bitter and extended period of frigid weather, with readings persisting between -20C and -40C for an extended duration. This week, the Yukon community of Braeburn saw the mercury drop to -55.7C, representing its most frigid December day in nearly five decades.

Prolonged Freeze Below -40C

Meanwhile, Mayo and Dawson endured over two straight weeks of nights below -40C, with Mayo experiencing a low of -50.4C earlier this week. Whitehorse similarly reported 10 nights when readings fell to minus 30 degrees or lower.

The bitter chill extended its reach south through Christmas week. Christmas night saw Edmonton's temperatures plummet below minus 28C.

Boxing Day was expected to bring lows of at least -20C across many regions, encompassing cities from Edmonton to Quebec.

Likely to Linger into the New Year

The severe cold is forecast to persist through the start of January. Authorities have cautioned about potential power failures in the Yukon over the next several days, as the system endures record-high pressure from peak power usage levels.

The prolonged chill has been caused by the Arctic vortex settling above Canadian territory through December, enabling a surge of icy Arctic winds to descend. In the coming week, forecasts indicate this cold air will pull back northward slowly, permitting warmer Pacific winds to flow over the United States and penetrate southern Canadian regions.

Pronounced Disparity with US Warmth

Meanwhile, in a dramatic contrast, areas of the United States saw the hottest December 25th in their history as the mercury climbed roughly 15 to 30 degrees above typical averages. In many areas, conditions felt more typical of April or May than late December.

Several states set Christmas Day temperature records. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, reached 25 degrees Celsius on Christmas, exceeding the old record of 22C from 1982. Urban centers like Austin, Dallas, and Charlotte, North Carolina 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 across the southeastern US in the coming days.

The warmth has been fuelled by a powerful high-altitude ridge stretching from the southwestern deserts northward and eastward, establishing a classic heat-dome pattern. This pattern establishes a broad area of high pressure blanketing a significant part of the landmass, effectively capping warm air at lower altitudes. Descending air compresses and adiabatically warms, allowing unusually warm temperatures to build.