Arctic Blast Grips Canada as United States Experiences Most Unseasonably Mild Christmas Ever.

An intense cold spell has seized an intense and prolonged cold spell, with readings persisting between -20C and -40C for an extended duration. On Tuesday, Braeburn in the Yukon recorded -55.7C, its coldest December temperature since 1975.

Consecutive Nights of Extreme Cold

Similarly, the communities of Mayo and Dawson experienced 16 consecutive nights below -40C, with the temperature in Mayo bottoming out at -50.4 degrees Celsius earlier this week. Whitehorse also recorded a series of ten nights when temperatures dropped below -30C.

The bitter chill extended its reach south through Christmas week. Christmas night saw Edmonton's temperatures plummet below minus 28C.

December 26th was anticipated to usher in lows of at least -20C across many regions, encompassing cities from Edmonton to Quebec.

Expected to Continue into the New Year

This harsh winter weather is expected to continue through the start of January. Officials have warned that the Yukon could face electricity outages in the coming days, as the territory’s power grid comes under strain from historically high electricity consumption.

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 allowing more temperate air from the Pacific to sweep across America and reach into portions of southern Canada.

Stark Contrast Compared to Stateside Temperatures

Conversely, sections of America recorded their warmest Christmas Day on record as readings skyrocketed 15 to 30 degrees Celsius above normal. Across wide regions, the atmosphere was more akin to late spring 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. Cities including Austin and Dallas, in Texas, and Charlotte, North Carolina similarly saw thermometers rise past the 25C mark.

High-Pressure System Sustains High Temperatures

Above-average warmth is expected to continue on December 26th and into the weekend, with atypical high temperatures expected to spread across the southeastern US in the coming days.

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. Such a configuration results in a widespread high-pressure system blanketing a significant part of the landmass, trapping warm air near the surface. As air sinks through the atmosphere, it compresses and heats further, enabling abnormally high temperatures to develop.