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An intense cold spell has seized an intense and prolonged cold spell, with thermometers lingering between -20C and -40C for multiple weeks. This week, the Yukon community of Braeburn saw the mercury drop to -55.7C, representing its most frigid December day since 1975.

Enduring Chill Below -40C

In addition, the locales of Mayo and Dawson suffered through sixteen nights in a row dipping under the minus 40 Celsius threshold, with Mayo experiencing a low of -50.4C earlier this week. Whitehorse also recorded ten separate nights when readings fell to minus 30 degrees or lower.

The deep freeze spread farther south over the festive period. Christmas night saw Edmonton's temperatures plummet below minus 28C.

December 26th was anticipated to usher in minimum temperatures of at least minus 20C across many regions, encompassing cities from Edmonton to Quebec.

Likely to Linger Through Early January

This harsh winter weather is expected to continue 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.

This extended freeze is the result of the polar vortex remaining anchored across the northern part of the continent this month, which funnels frigid northern air southward. Next week, the cold air mass is expected to retreat north allowing more temperate air from the Pacific to sweep across the US and into parts of southern Canada.

Pronounced Disparity 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. Across wide regions, the atmosphere was more akin to late spring than late December.

Multiple states established new Christmas temperature highs. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, reached 25 degrees Celsius on Christmas, 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 Fuels Warmth

Warmer-than-normal conditions are forecast to last through Boxing Day and the days ahead, with abnormal warmth projected to move into the south-eastern states later in the week.

This heat is being driven by a powerful high-altitude ridge stretching from the southwestern deserts northward and eastward, creating a heat-dome effect. This pattern establishes a broad area of high pressure over a large portion of North America, trapping warm air near the surface. Sinking atmospheric air undergoes compression and additional heating, allowing unusually warm temperatures to build.