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Northern Canada has been gripped by a bitter and extended period of frigid weather, with thermometers lingering between -20C and -40C for multiple weeks. This week, the Yukon community of Braeburn saw the mercury drop to -55.7C, its coldest December temperature in nearly five decades.

Enduring Chill of Extreme Cold

Similarly, the communities of Mayo and Dawson experienced 16 consecutive nights below -40C, with Mayo experiencing a low of -50.4C earlier this week. The capital, Whitehorse, likewise saw ten separate nights when the cold dipped under -30 Celsius.

The deep freeze spread farther south during the holiday season. In Edmonton, the Christmas overnight low dipped under -28 degrees Celsius.

Boxing Day was expected to bring lows of at least -20C in numerous areas, including Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa and Quebec.

Likely to Linger into the New Year

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 its energy infrastructure faces unprecedented demand from peak power usage levels.

This extended freeze is the result of a stationary polar vortex across the northern part of the continent this month, allowing bitter Arctic air to spill south. In the coming week, forecasts indicate this cold air will pull back northward allowing more temperate air from the Pacific to sweep across the United States and penetrate southern Canadian regions.

Dramatic Difference with US Warmth

Conversely, sections of America recorded their warmest Christmas Day on record as temperatures soared about 15-30C above the seasonal average. For numerous locations, the weather resembled a spring day in April or May rather than the end of December.

Several states set Christmas Day temperature records. In Oklahoma, Oklahoma City hit 25C on Tuesday, topping the prior high mark of 22 degrees established over forty years ago. Cities including Austin and Dallas, in Texas, and Charlotte, North Carolina also logged readings above 25 degrees Celsius.

Atmospheric Ridge Fuels Warmth

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.

This heat is being driven by a strong upper-level ridge extending from the desert south-west towards the north and east, establishing a classic heat-dome pattern. This pattern establishes a broad area of high pressure blanketing a significant part of the landmass, which holds warm air close to the ground. As air sinks through the atmosphere, it compresses and heats further, enabling abnormally high temperatures to develop.