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Northern Canada has been gripped by a bitter and extended period of frigid weather, with temperatures hovering in the minus 20 to minus 40 Celsius range for an extended duration. This week, the Yukon community of Braeburn saw the mercury drop to -55.7C, its coldest December temperature in half a century.

Prolonged Freeze Below -40C

Meanwhile, Mayo and Dawson endured sixteen nights in a row colder than minus 40 degrees, with Mayo plunging to -50.4C earlier this week. Whitehorse similarly reported ten separate nights when temperatures dropped below -30C.

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, from Edmonton in the west to Quebec in the east.

Forecast to Persist into the New Year

The severe cold is forecast to persist into the new year. Authorities have cautioned about potential power failures in the Yukon over the next several days, as its energy infrastructure faces unprecedented demand from historically high electricity consumption.

The lengthy cold snap originates from a stationary polar vortex over Canada for much of December, which funnels frigid northern air southward. The frigid dome is projected to gradually withdraw north allowing more temperate air from the Pacific to sweep across the United States and penetrate southern Canadian regions.

Pronounced Disparity with US Warmth

Conversely, sections of America recorded historically high temperatures for Christmas as temperatures soared about 15-30C above the seasonal average. For numerous locations, the weather resembled a spring day in April or May than late December.

A number of states broke historical records for December 25th warmth. In Oklahoma, Oklahoma City hit 25C on Tuesday, 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 Drives the Heat

Above-average warmth is expected to continue on December 26th and into the weekend, with abnormal warmth projected to move into the south-eastern states later in the week.

This heat is being driven by a robust atmospheric ridge reaching from the arid southwest across the continent, establishing a classic heat-dome pattern. Such a configuration results in a widespread high-pressure system over a large portion of North America, effectively capping warm air at lower altitudes. Sinking atmospheric air undergoes compression and additional heating, fostering the buildup of exceptional warmth.