Deep Freeze Grips Canada as America Sees Hottest Christmas Ever.
Northern Canada has been gripped by an intense and prolonged cold spell, with thermometers lingering between -20C and -40C for multiple weeks. This week, the Yukon community of Braeburn saw the mercury drop to -55.7C, marking its chilliest December reading 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 at the start of the week. Whitehorse also recorded ten separate nights when the cold dipped under -30 Celsius.
The deep freeze spread farther south through Christmas week. Christmas night saw Edmonton's temperatures plummet below minus 28C.
Boxing Day was expected to bring minimum temperatures of at least minus 20C across many regions, including Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa and Quebec.
Forecast to Persist Through Early January
The frigid conditions are predicted to linger through the start of January. Authorities have cautioned about potential power failures in the Yukon over the next several 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 above Canadian territory through December, enabling a surge of icy Arctic winds to descend. Next week, the cold air mass is expected to retreat north slowly, permitting warmer Pacific winds to flow over the US and into parts of southern Canada.
Dramatic Difference to American Heat
Meanwhile, in a dramatic contrast, areas of the United States saw the hottest December 25th in their history as temperatures soared about 15-30C above the seasonal average. For numerous locations, the weather resembled a spring day in April or May rather than the end of December.
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. Metropolitan areas such as Austin, Dallas, and Charlotte also logged readings above 25 degrees Celsius.
Atmospheric Ridge Sustains High Temperatures
Unseasonable heat is predicted to persist on December 26th and into the weekend, with unseasonable heat forecast to sweep into the south-eastern states later in the week.
The warmth has been fuelled by a powerful high-altitude ridge stretching from the southwestern deserts northward and eastward, 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. As air sinks through the atmosphere, it compresses and heats further, fostering the buildup of exceptional warmth.
