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Northern Canada has been gripped by a bitter and extended period of frigid weather, with readings persisting from 20 to 40 degrees below zero for an extended duration. This week, the Yukon community of Braeburn saw the mercury drop to -55.7C, marking its chilliest December reading in half a century.

Enduring Chill Below -40C

Similarly, the communities of Mayo and Dawson experienced sixteen nights in a row colder than minus 40 degrees, with Mayo experiencing a low of -50.4C on Monday. Whitehorse similarly reported a series of ten nights when readings fell to minus 30 degrees or lower.

This Arctic air mass pushed further southward through Christmas week. On Christmas Day, overnight temperatures in Edmonton fell below -28C.

December 26th was anticipated to usher in minimum temperatures of at least minus 20C in numerous areas, from Edmonton in the west to Quebec in the east.

Likely to Linger into the New Year

The severe cold is forecast to persist through the start of January. Officials have warned that the Yukon could face electricity outages over the next several days, as the territory’s power grid comes under strain from peak power usage levels.

The lengthy cold snap originates from the polar vortex remaining anchored over Canada for much of December, enabling a surge of icy Arctic winds to descend. The frigid dome is projected to gradually withdraw north slowly, permitting warmer Pacific winds to flow over the United States and penetrate southern Canadian regions.

Stark Contrast with US Warmth

Meanwhile, in a dramatic contrast, areas of the United States saw 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 instead of the heart of winter.

Multiple states established new Christmas temperature highs. In Oklahoma, Oklahoma City hit 25C on Tuesday, exceeding the old record of 22C from 1982. Cities including Austin and Dallas, in Texas, and Charlotte, North Carolina were also among those that recorded temperatures above 25C.

Atmospheric Ridge Fuels Warmth

Warmer-than-normal conditions are forecast to last through Boxing Day and the days ahead, with atypical high temperatures expected to spread into the south-eastern states later in the week.

The warmth has been fuelled by a robust atmospheric ridge extending from the desert south-west towards the north and east, creating a heat-dome effect. This pattern establishes a broad area of high pressure across much of the continent, which holds warm air close to the ground. Sinking atmospheric air undergoes compression and additional heating, allowing unusually warm temperatures to build.