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A prolonged deep freeze has enveloped a bitter and extended period of frigid weather, with thermometers lingering between -20C and -40C for weeks. This week, the Yukon community of Braeburn saw the mercury drop to -55.7C, its coldest December temperature in half a century.

Prolonged Freeze of Extreme Cold

Similarly, the communities of Mayo and Dawson experienced sixteen nights in a row below -40C, with Mayo plunging to -50.4C at the start of the week. Whitehorse also recorded ten separate nights when the cold dipped under -30 Celsius.

The bitter chill extended its reach south during the holiday season. In Edmonton, the Christmas overnight low dipped under -28 degrees Celsius.

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

Likely to Linger into the New Year

This harsh winter weather is expected to continue for the foreseeable future. There are warnings of possible electrical grid strain in Yukon territory soon, as the territory’s power grid comes under strain from peak power usage levels.

This extended freeze is the result of the Arctic vortex settling across the northern part of the continent this month, 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 US and into parts of southern Canada.

Dramatic Difference with US Warmth

Meanwhile, in a dramatic contrast, areas of the United States saw their warmest Christmas Day on record 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.

Multiple states established new Christmas temperature highs. The capital of Oklahoma soared to 25C on Christmas Day, topping the prior high mark of 22 degrees established over forty years ago. Cities including Austin and Dallas, in Texas, and Charlotte, North Carolina were also among those that recorded temperatures above 25C.

Atmospheric Ridge Sustains High Temperatures

Unseasonable heat is predicted to persist on December 26th and into the weekend, with atypical high temperatures expected to spread across the southeastern US in the coming days.

The unseasonable temperatures are powered by a powerful high-altitude ridge extending from the desert south-west towards the north and east, which generates a heat-dome phenomenon. Such a configuration results in a widespread high-pressure system across much of the continent, trapping warm air near the surface. As air sinks through the atmosphere, it compresses and heats further, fostering the buildup of exceptional warmth.