🔗 Share this article

Northern Canada has been gripped by an intense and prolonged cold spell, with temperatures hovering between -20C and -40C for multiple weeks. A reading of -55.7 Celsius was logged in Braeburn, Yukon, on Tuesday, marking its chilliest December reading in half a century.

Enduring Chill Below -40C

Similarly, the communities of Mayo and Dawson experienced sixteen nights in a row below -40C, with the temperature in Mayo bottoming out at -50.4 degrees Celsius at the start of the week. Whitehorse also recorded ten separate nights when temperatures dropped below -30C.

The deep freeze spread farther south over the festive period. On Christmas Day, overnight temperatures in Edmonton fell below -28C.

December 26th was anticipated to usher in readings no higher than -20 Celsius across many regions, encompassing cities from Edmonton to Quebec.

Forecast to Persist Through Early January

The frigid conditions are predicted to linger 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 record-high energy demand.

The lengthy cold snap originates from the Arctic vortex settling across the northern part of the continent this month, enabling a surge of icy Arctic winds to descend. In the coming week, forecasts indicate this cold air will pull back northward slowly, permitting warmer Pacific winds to flow over the United States and penetrate southern Canadian regions.

Dramatic Difference Compared to Stateside Temperatures

In stark contrast, parts of the US experienced historically high temperatures for Christmas as temperatures soared about 15-30C above the seasonal average. In many areas, conditions felt more typical of April or May instead of the heart of winter.

Multiple states established new Christmas temperature highs. In Oklahoma, Oklahoma City hit 25C on Tuesday, exceeding the old record of 22C from 1982. Cities including Austin and Dallas, in Texas, and Charlotte, North Carolina were also among those that recorded temperatures above 25C.

Heat-Dome Effect Drives the Heat

Unseasonable heat is predicted to persist through Boxing Day and the days ahead, with unseasonable heat forecast to sweep through the American Southeast soon.

This heat is being driven by a robust atmospheric ridge stretching from the southwestern deserts northward and eastward, establishing a classic heat-dome pattern. This pattern establishes a broad area of high pressure across much of the continent, trapping warm air near the surface. Descending air compresses and adiabatically warms, allowing unusually warm temperatures to build.