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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 an extended duration. A reading of -55.7 Celsius was logged in Braeburn, Yukon, on Tuesday, representing its most frigid December day in nearly five decades.

Enduring Chill in the Deep Minus Forties

Meanwhile, Mayo and Dawson endured over two straight weeks of nights dipping under the minus 40 Celsius threshold, with Mayo experiencing a low of -50.4C earlier this week. Whitehorse similarly reported a series of ten nights when temperatures dropped below -30C.

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

Boxing Day was expected to bring readings no higher than -20 Celsius in numerous areas, from Edmonton in the west to Quebec in the east.

Expected to Continue Through Early January

The frigid conditions are predicted to linger into the new year. There are warnings of possible electrical grid strain in Yukon territory over the next several days, as the territory’s power grid comes under strain from record-high energy demand.

The prolonged chill has been caused by the polar vortex remaining anchored over Canada for much of December, 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.

Pronounced Disparity to American Heat

Conversely, sections of America recorded 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 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. Cities including Austin and Dallas, in Texas, and Charlotte, North Carolina also logged readings above 25 degrees Celsius.

Atmospheric Ridge Sustains High Temperatures

Warmer-than-normal conditions are forecast to last for the remainder of the week and beyond, with abnormal warmth projected to move across the southeastern US in the coming days.

The warmth has been fuelled by a powerful high-altitude ridge reaching from the arid southwest across the continent, which generates a heat-dome phenomenon. Such a configuration results in a widespread high-pressure system blanketing a significant part of the landmass, effectively capping warm air at lower altitudes. Sinking atmospheric air undergoes compression and additional heating, enabling abnormally high temperatures to develop.