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Northern Canada has been gripped by a bitter and extended period of frigid weather, with readings persisting in the minus 20 to minus 40 Celsius range for weeks. This week, the Yukon community of Braeburn saw the mercury drop to -55.7C, its coldest December temperature in half a century.

Consecutive Nights of Extreme Cold

In addition, the locales of Mayo and Dawson suffered through 16 consecutive nights dipping under the minus 40 Celsius threshold, with Mayo plunging to -50.4C earlier this week. Whitehorse also recorded a series of ten nights when the cold dipped under -30 Celsius.

The bitter chill extended its reach south through Christmas week. Christmas night saw Edmonton's temperatures plummet below minus 28C.

December 26th was anticipated to usher in lows of at least -20C in numerous areas, including Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa and Quebec.

Likely to Linger Through Early January

This harsh winter weather is expected to continue into the new year. There are warnings of possible electrical grid strain in Yukon territory 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 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 gradually, enabling milder Pacific air to move across the United States and penetrate southern Canadian regions.

Pronounced Disparity Compared to Stateside Temperatures

Conversely, sections of America recorded the hottest December 25th in their history 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 than late December.

A number of states broke historical records for December 25th warmth. In Oklahoma, Oklahoma City hit 25C on Tuesday, exceeding the old record of 22C from 1982. Urban centers like Austin, Dallas, and Charlotte, North Carolina similarly saw thermometers rise past the 25C mark.

High-Pressure System Fuels Warmth

Above-average warmth is expected to continue for the remainder of the week and beyond, with unseasonable heat forecast to sweep into the south-eastern states later in the week.

The unseasonable temperatures are powered by a robust atmospheric ridge reaching from the arid southwest across the continent, establishing a classic heat-dome pattern. This setup creates an extensive zone of high atmospheric pressure across much of the continent, which holds warm air close to the ground. Descending air compresses and adiabatically warms, fostering the buildup of exceptional warmth.