🔗 Share this article

An intense cold spell has seized a bitter and extended period of frigid weather, with thermometers lingering from 20 to 40 degrees below zero for weeks. A reading of -55.7 Celsius was logged in Braeburn, Yukon, on Tuesday, its coldest December temperature since 1975.

Consecutive Nights Below -40C

Similarly, the communities of Mayo and Dawson experienced 16 consecutive nights dipping under the minus 40 Celsius threshold, with Mayo experiencing a low of -50.4C on Monday. Whitehorse also recorded a series of ten nights when readings fell to minus 30 degrees or lower.

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

Boxing Day was expected to bring readings no higher than -20 Celsius in numerous areas, from Edmonton in the west to Quebec in the east.

Expected to Continue For Days to Come

The frigid conditions are predicted to linger into the new year. Authorities have cautioned about potential power failures in the Yukon in the coming days, as the territory’s power grid comes under strain from historically high electricity consumption.

The prolonged chill has been caused by 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 slowly, permitting warmer Pacific winds to flow over the United States and penetrate southern Canadian regions.

Stark Contrast Compared to Stateside Temperatures

Meanwhile, in a dramatic contrast, areas of the United States saw their warmest Christmas Day on record as readings skyrocketed 15 to 30 degrees Celsius above normal. 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, surpassing the previous peak of 22C set in 1982. Urban centers like Austin, Dallas, and Charlotte, North Carolina similarly saw thermometers rise past the 25C mark.

High-Pressure System Drives the Heat

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 unseasonable temperatures are powered 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 over a large portion of North America, effectively capping warm air at lower altitudes. Descending air compresses and adiabatically warms, fostering the buildup of exceptional warmth.