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Northern Canada has been gripped by a bitter and extended period of frigid weather, with temperatures hovering from 20 to 40 degrees below zero for multiple weeks. A reading of -55.7 Celsius was logged in Braeburn, Yukon, on Tuesday, representing its most frigid December day in half a century.

Enduring Chill in the Deep Minus Forties

In addition, the locales of Mayo and Dawson suffered through sixteen nights in a row below -40C, with the temperature in Mayo bottoming out at -50.4 degrees Celsius earlier this week. Whitehorse also recorded ten separate nights when the cold dipped under -30 Celsius.

The bitter chill extended its reach south over the festive period. On Christmas Day, overnight temperatures in Edmonton fell below -28C.

December 26th was anticipated to usher in lows of at least -20C in numerous areas, from Edmonton in the west to Quebec in the east.

Expected to Continue into the New Year

This harsh winter weather is expected to continue through the start of January. There are warnings of possible electrical grid strain in Yukon territory in the coming days, as the territory’s power grid comes under strain from peak power usage levels.

The prolonged chill has been caused by a stationary polar vortex above Canadian territory through December, enabling a surge of icy Arctic winds to descend. The frigid dome is projected to gradually withdraw north allowing more temperate air from the Pacific to sweep across the United States and penetrate southern Canadian regions.

Stark Contrast Compared to Stateside Temperatures

Conversely, sections of America recorded the hottest December 25th in their history as temperatures soared about 15-30C above the seasonal average. 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, topping the prior high mark of 22 degrees established over forty years ago. Cities including Austin and Dallas, in Texas, and Charlotte, North Carolina similarly saw thermometers rise past the 25C mark.

Atmospheric Ridge Drives the Heat

Unseasonable heat is predicted to persist on December 26th and into the weekend, with abnormal warmth projected to move into the south-eastern states later in the week.

This heat is being driven by a powerful high-altitude ridge stretching from the southwestern deserts northward and eastward, establishing a classic heat-dome pattern. This setup creates an extensive zone of high atmospheric pressure over a large portion of North America, effectively capping warm air at lower altitudes. As air sinks through the atmosphere, it compresses and heats further, fostering the buildup of exceptional warmth.