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A prolonged deep freeze has enveloped an intense and prolonged cold spell, with temperatures hovering between -20C and -40C for weeks. This week, the Yukon community of Braeburn saw the mercury drop to -55.7C, representing its most frigid December day in nearly five decades.

Prolonged Freeze of Extreme Cold

Similarly, the communities of Mayo and Dawson experienced 16 consecutive nights dipping under the minus 40 Celsius threshold, with the temperature in Mayo bottoming out at -50.4 degrees Celsius earlier this week. The capital, Whitehorse, likewise saw a series of ten nights when readings fell to minus 30 degrees or lower.

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

Boxing Day was expected to bring readings no higher than -20 Celsius across many regions, encompassing cities from Edmonton to Quebec.

Expected to Continue Through Early January

This harsh winter weather is expected to continue through the start of January. Officials have warned that the Yukon could face electricity outages soon, as the territory’s power grid comes under strain from peak power usage levels.

The prolonged chill has been caused by the polar vortex remaining anchored over Canada for much of December, enabling a surge of icy Arctic winds to descend. In the coming week, forecasts indicate this cold air will pull back northward allowing more temperate air from the Pacific to sweep across America and reach into portions of southern Canada.

Pronounced Disparity to American Heat

Meanwhile, in a dramatic contrast, areas of the United States saw historically high temperatures for Christmas 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.

Several states set Christmas Day temperature records. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, reached 25 degrees Celsius on Christmas, exceeding the old record of 22C from 1982. Cities including Austin and Dallas, in Texas, and Charlotte, North Carolina also logged readings above 25 degrees Celsius.

Atmospheric Ridge Fuels Warmth

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.

This heat is being driven by a strong upper-level 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, effectively capping warm air at lower altitudes. Sinking atmospheric air undergoes compression and additional heating, allowing unusually warm temperatures to build.