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Northern Canada has been gripped by an intense and prolonged cold spell, with temperatures hovering from 20 to 40 degrees below zero for multiple weeks. On Tuesday, Braeburn in the Yukon recorded -55.7C, representing its most frigid December day in nearly five decades.

Enduring Chill of Extreme Cold

Meanwhile, Mayo and Dawson endured 16 consecutive nights dipping under the minus 40 Celsius threshold, with the temperature in Mayo bottoming out at -50.4 degrees Celsius at the start of the week. Whitehorse also recorded a series of ten nights when temperatures dropped below -30C.

The bitter chill extended its reach south during the holiday season. Christmas night saw Edmonton's temperatures plummet below minus 28C.

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

Likely to Linger into the New Year

The frigid conditions are predicted to linger for the foreseeable future. Authorities have cautioned about potential power failures in the Yukon soon, as its energy infrastructure faces unprecedented demand from record-high energy demand.

This extended freeze is the result of a stationary polar vortex above Canadian territory through December, allowing bitter Arctic air to spill south. The frigid dome is projected to gradually withdraw north gradually, enabling milder Pacific air to move across the United States and penetrate southern Canadian regions.

Stark Contrast Compared to Stateside Temperatures

In stark contrast, parts of the US experienced the hottest December 25th in their history 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. In Oklahoma, Oklahoma City hit 25C on Tuesday, topping the prior high mark of 22 degrees established over forty years ago. Urban centers like Austin, Dallas, and Charlotte, North Carolina were also among those that recorded temperatures above 25C.

Atmospheric Ridge Fuels Warmth

Unseasonable heat is predicted to persist for the remainder of the week and beyond, with atypical high temperatures expected to spread across the southeastern US in the coming days.

The warmth has been fuelled by a powerful high-altitude ridge extending from the desert south-west towards the north and east, which generates a heat-dome phenomenon. This setup creates an extensive zone of high atmospheric pressure across much of the continent, which holds warm air close to the ground. Sinking atmospheric air undergoes compression and additional heating, enabling abnormally high temperatures to develop.