🔗 Share this article

Northern Canada has been gripped by a bitter and extended period of frigid weather, with temperatures hovering in the minus 20 to minus 40 Celsius range for an extended duration. This week, the Yukon community of Braeburn saw the mercury drop to -55.7C, its coldest December temperature in half a century.

Enduring Chill Below -40C

Meanwhile, Mayo and Dawson endured sixteen nights in a row dipping under the minus 40 Celsius threshold, with Mayo plunging to -50.4C on Monday. Whitehorse similarly reported ten separate nights when the cold dipped under -30 Celsius.

The deep freeze spread farther south over the festive period. In Edmonton, the Christmas overnight low dipped under -28 degrees Celsius.

The day after Christmas was forecast to deliver readings no higher than -20 Celsius across many regions, including Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa and Quebec.

Likely to Linger For Days to Come

This harsh winter weather is expected to continue for the foreseeable future. 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 over Canada for much of December, enabling a surge of icy Arctic winds to descend. Next week, the cold air mass is expected to retreat north allowing more temperate air from the Pacific to sweep across America and reach into portions of southern Canada.

Stark Contrast to American Heat

Meanwhile, in a dramatic contrast, areas of the United States saw their warmest Christmas Day on record as readings skyrocketed 15 to 30 degrees Celsius above normal. In many areas, conditions felt more typical of April or May than late December.

A number of states broke historical records for December 25th warmth. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, reached 25 degrees Celsius on Christmas, topping the prior high mark of 22 degrees established over forty years ago. Metropolitan areas such as Austin, Dallas, and Charlotte similarly saw thermometers rise past the 25C mark.

High-Pressure System Sustains High Temperatures

Warmer-than-normal conditions are forecast to last on December 26th and into the weekend, with atypical high temperatures expected to spread into the south-eastern states later in the week.

The unseasonable temperatures are powered by a strong upper-level ridge stretching from the southwestern deserts northward and eastward, which generates a heat-dome phenomenon. This pattern establishes a broad area of high pressure over a large portion of North America, trapping warm air near the surface. Sinking atmospheric air undergoes compression and additional heating, enabling abnormally high temperatures to develop.