🔗 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. On Tuesday, Braeburn in the Yukon recorded -55.7C, marking its chilliest December reading in nearly five decades.

Prolonged Freeze of Extreme Cold

Similarly, the communities of Mayo and Dawson experienced 16 consecutive nights colder than minus 40 degrees, with the temperature in Mayo bottoming out at -50.4 degrees Celsius on Monday. Whitehorse similarly reported a series of ten nights when the cold dipped under -30 Celsius.

This Arctic air mass pushed further southward during the holiday season. On Christmas Day, overnight temperatures in Edmonton fell below -28C.

Boxing Day was expected to bring minimum temperatures of at least minus 20C through a wide swath, including Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa and Quebec.

Forecast to Persist Through Early January

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 system endures record-high pressure from peak power usage levels.

The lengthy cold snap originates from the polar vortex remaining anchored above Canadian territory through December, enabling a surge of icy Arctic winds to descend. In the coming week, forecasts indicate this cold air will pull back northward gradually, enabling milder Pacific air to move across the US and into parts of southern Canada.

Dramatic Difference Compared to Stateside Temperatures

Conversely, sections of America recorded historically high temperatures for Christmas as readings skyrocketed 15 to 30 degrees Celsius above normal. In many areas, conditions felt more typical of April or May rather than the end of December.

Multiple states established new Christmas temperature highs. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, reached 25 degrees Celsius on Christmas, 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.

Atmospheric Ridge Drives the Heat

Above-average warmth is expected to continue through Boxing Day and the days ahead, with abnormal warmth projected to move through the American Southeast soon.

The unseasonable temperatures are powered by a robust atmospheric ridge extending from the desert south-west towards the north and east, which generates a heat-dome phenomenon. This pattern establishes a broad area of high pressure blanketing a significant part of the landmass, effectively capping warm air at lower altitudes. Sinking atmospheric air undergoes compression and additional heating, allowing unusually warm temperatures to build.