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Northern Canada has been gripped by a severe and lengthy Arctic outbreak, with temperatures hovering between -20C and -40C for multiple weeks. This week, the Yukon community of Braeburn saw the mercury drop to -55.7C, its coldest December temperature in nearly five decades.

Consecutive Nights Below -40C

Meanwhile, Mayo and Dawson endured over two straight weeks of 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 10 nights when readings fell to minus 30 degrees or lower.

This Arctic air mass pushed further southward over the festive period. In Edmonton, the Christmas overnight low dipped under -28 degrees Celsius.

Boxing Day was expected to bring minimum temperatures of at least minus 20C in numerous areas, encompassing cities from Edmonton to Quebec.

Expected to Continue For Days to Come

This harsh winter weather is expected to continue into the new year. Officials have warned that the Yukon could face electricity outages over the next several days, as the territory’s power grid comes under strain from historically high electricity consumption.

This extended freeze is the result of the Arctic vortex settling over Canada for much of December, allowing bitter Arctic air to spill south. Next week, the cold air mass is expected to retreat north slowly, permitting warmer Pacific winds to flow over the United States and penetrate southern Canadian regions.

Pronounced Disparity to American Heat

In stark contrast, parts of the US experienced their warmest Christmas Day on record as readings skyrocketed 15 to 30 degrees Celsius above normal. For numerous locations, the weather resembled a spring day in April or May instead of the heart of winter.

Several states set Christmas Day temperature records. 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 Drives the Heat

Unseasonable heat is predicted to persist on December 26th and into the weekend, with unseasonable heat forecast to sweep across the southeastern US in the coming days.

The unseasonable temperatures are powered by a powerful high-altitude ridge extending from the desert south-west towards the north and east, creating a heat-dome effect. This pattern establishes a broad area of high pressure over a large portion of North America, which holds warm air close to the ground. As air sinks through the atmosphere, it compresses and heats further, allowing unusually warm temperatures to build.