🔗 Share this article

Northern Canada has been gripped by an intense and prolonged cold spell, with readings persisting 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, representing its most frigid December day in nearly five decades.

Enduring Chill 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 on Monday. The capital, Whitehorse, likewise saw ten separate nights when the cold dipped under -30 Celsius.

This Arctic air mass pushed further southward during the holiday season. Christmas night saw Edmonton's temperatures plummet below minus 28C.

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

The severe cold is forecast to persist for the foreseeable future. Officials have warned that the Yukon could face electricity outages soon, as the territory’s power grid comes under strain from record-high energy demand.

The lengthy cold snap originates from a stationary polar vortex over Canada for much of December, which funnels frigid northern air southward. 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 with US Warmth

Conversely, sections of America recorded historically high temperatures for Christmas as the mercury climbed roughly 15 to 30 degrees above typical averages. In many areas, conditions felt more typical of April or May instead of the heart of winter.

Several states set Christmas Day temperature records. The capital of Oklahoma soared to 25C on Christmas Day, surpassing the previous peak of 22C set in 1982. Metropolitan areas such as Austin, Dallas, and Charlotte were also among those that recorded temperatures above 25C.

Heat-Dome Effect Drives the Heat

Above-average warmth is expected to continue for the remainder of the week and beyond, with unseasonable heat forecast to sweep into the south-eastern states later in the week.

This heat is being driven by a strong upper-level ridge reaching from the arid southwest across the continent, which generates a heat-dome phenomenon. This setup creates an extensive zone of high atmospheric pressure over a large portion of North America, trapping warm air near the surface. As air sinks through the atmosphere, it compresses and heats further, allowing unusually warm temperatures to build.