Deep Freeze Grips the Great White North as America Sees Warmest Christmas in History.

An intense cold spell has seized a bitter and extended period of frigid weather, with readings persisting between -20C and -40C for multiple weeks. A reading of -55.7 Celsius was logged in Braeburn, Yukon, on Tuesday, representing its most frigid December day since 1975.

Consecutive Nights in the Deep Minus Forties

Meanwhile, Mayo and Dawson endured sixteen nights in a row below -40C, with the temperature in Mayo bottoming out at -50.4 degrees Celsius earlier this week. The capital, Whitehorse, likewise saw 10 nights when the cold dipped under -30 Celsius.

The bitter chill extended its reach south over the festive period. Christmas night saw Edmonton's temperatures plummet below minus 28C.

December 26th was anticipated to usher in lows of at least -20C through a wide swath, from Edmonton in the west to Quebec in the east.

Likely to Linger For Days to Come

The severe cold is forecast to persist through the start of January. Authorities have cautioned about potential power failures in the Yukon in the coming days, as the territory’s power grid comes under strain from record-high energy demand.

The prolonged chill has been caused by the Arctic vortex settling across the northern part of the continent this month, which funnels frigid northern air southward. In the coming week, forecasts indicate this cold air will pull back northward gradually, enabling milder Pacific air to move across the United States and penetrate southern Canadian regions.

Dramatic Difference to American Heat

Meanwhile, in a dramatic contrast, areas of the United States saw the hottest December 25th in their history 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.

Multiple states established new Christmas temperature highs. In Oklahoma, Oklahoma City hit 25C on Tuesday, exceeding the old record of 22C from 1982. Cities including Austin and Dallas, in Texas, and Charlotte, North Carolina similarly saw thermometers rise past the 25C mark.

High-Pressure System Sustains High Temperatures

Above-average warmth is expected to continue on December 26th and into the weekend, with abnormal warmth projected to move into the south-eastern states later in the week.

The warmth has been fuelled by a robust atmospheric 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, which holds warm air close to the ground. Sinking atmospheric air undergoes compression and additional heating, allowing unusually warm temperatures to build.