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Northern Canada has been gripped by an intense and prolonged cold spell, with temperatures hovering between -20C and -40C for an extended duration. A reading of -55.7 Celsius was logged in Braeburn, Yukon, on Tuesday, representing its most frigid December day in half a century.

Consecutive Nights in the Deep Minus Forties

Similarly, the communities of Mayo and Dawson experienced over two straight weeks of nights below -40C, with Mayo plunging to -50.4C earlier this week. The capital, Whitehorse, likewise saw 10 nights when the cold dipped under -30 Celsius.

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 lows of at least -20C across many regions, encompassing cities from Edmonton to Quebec.

Likely to Linger For Days to Come

The severe cold is forecast to persist into the new year. Officials have warned that the Yukon could face electricity outages in the coming days, as the system endures record-high pressure from record-high energy demand.

The prolonged chill has been caused by a stationary polar vortex above Canadian territory through December, allowing bitter Arctic air to spill south. In the coming week, forecasts indicate this cold air will pull back northward slowly, permitting warmer Pacific winds to flow over the United States and penetrate southern Canadian regions.

Stark Contrast with US Warmth

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. For numerous locations, the weather resembled a spring day in April or May rather than the end of December.

A number of states broke historical records for December 25th warmth. In Oklahoma, Oklahoma City hit 25C on Tuesday, exceeding the old record of 22C from 1982. Urban centers like Austin, Dallas, and Charlotte, North Carolina were also among those that recorded temperatures above 25C.

Atmospheric Ridge Fuels Warmth

Above-average warmth is expected to continue for the remainder of the week and beyond, with atypical high temperatures expected to spread across the southeastern US in the coming days.

The unseasonable temperatures are powered by a powerful high-altitude ridge reaching from the arid southwest across the continent, establishing a classic heat-dome pattern. Such a configuration results in a widespread high-pressure system blanketing a significant part of the landmass, effectively capping warm air at lower altitudes. As air sinks through the atmosphere, it compresses and heats further, enabling abnormally high temperatures to develop.