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An intense cold spell has seized a bitter and extended period of frigid weather, with temperatures hovering between -20C and -40C for weeks. 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 sixteen nights in a row dipping under the minus 40 Celsius threshold, with Mayo plunging to -50.4C earlier this week. Whitehorse also recorded 10 nights when readings fell to minus 30 degrees or lower.

The deep freeze spread farther south during the holiday season. On Christmas Day, overnight temperatures in Edmonton fell below -28C.

Boxing Day was expected to bring readings no higher than -20 Celsius in numerous areas, from Edmonton in the west to Quebec in the east.

Likely to Linger into the New Year

The severe cold is forecast to persist for the foreseeable future. Authorities have cautioned about potential power failures in the Yukon in the coming days, as the territory’s power grid comes under strain from record-high energy demand.

The prolonged chill has been caused by the polar vortex remaining anchored across the northern part of the continent this month, which funnels frigid northern air southward. Next week, the cold air mass is expected to retreat north allowing more temperate air from the Pacific to sweep across the US and into parts of southern Canada.

Stark Contrast to American Heat

Meanwhile, in a dramatic contrast, areas of the United States saw their warmest Christmas Day on record 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 than late December.

Multiple states established new Christmas temperature highs. The capital of Oklahoma soared to 25C on Christmas Day, exceeding the old record of 22C from 1982. Cities including Austin and Dallas, in Texas, and Charlotte, North Carolina also logged readings above 25 degrees Celsius.

Atmospheric Ridge Sustains High Temperatures

Warmer-than-normal conditions are forecast to last on December 26th and into the weekend, with unseasonable heat forecast to sweep through the American Southeast soon.

This heat is being driven by a powerful high-altitude ridge reaching from the arid southwest across the continent, establishing a classic heat-dome pattern. This setup creates an extensive zone of high atmospheric pressure across much of the continent, which holds warm air close to the ground. Descending air compresses and adiabatically warms, enabling abnormally high temperatures to develop.