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Northern Canada has been gripped by an intense and prolonged cold spell, with thermometers lingering from 20 to 40 degrees below zero for multiple weeks. On Tuesday, Braeburn in the Yukon recorded -55.7C, representing its most frigid December day since 1975.

Enduring Chill Below -40C

Similarly, the communities of Mayo and Dawson experienced sixteen nights in a row dipping under the minus 40 Celsius threshold, with the temperature in Mayo bottoming out at -50.4 degrees Celsius at the start of the week. 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. Christmas night saw Edmonton's temperatures plummet below minus 28C.

The day after Christmas was forecast to deliver minimum temperatures of at least minus 20C across many regions, from Edmonton in the west to Quebec in the east.

Expected to Continue For Days to Come

This harsh winter weather is expected to continue for the foreseeable future. There are warnings of possible electrical grid strain in Yukon territory in the coming days, as its energy infrastructure faces unprecedented demand from record-high energy demand.

This extended freeze is the result of the Arctic vortex settling across the northern part of the continent this month, which funnels frigid northern air southward. The frigid dome is projected to gradually withdraw north gradually, enabling milder Pacific air to move across the US and into parts of southern Canada.

Stark Contrast with US Warmth

In stark contrast, parts of the US experienced historically high temperatures for Christmas as the mercury climbed roughly 15 to 30 degrees above typical averages. For numerous locations, the weather resembled a spring day in April or May instead of the heart of winter.

Several states set Christmas Day temperature records. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, reached 25 degrees Celsius on Christmas, surpassing the previous peak of 22C set in 1982. Metropolitan areas such as Austin, Dallas, and Charlotte were also among those that recorded temperatures above 25C.

Heat-Dome Effect Sustains High Temperatures

Unseasonable heat is predicted to persist on December 26th and into the weekend, with unseasonable heat forecast to sweep across the southeastern US in the coming days.

This heat is being driven by a strong upper-level ridge stretching from the southwestern deserts northward and eastward, 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. As air sinks through the atmosphere, it compresses and heats further, enabling abnormally high temperatures to develop.