Deep Freeze Envelops the Great White North as US Records Warmest Christmas on Record.

A prolonged deep freeze has enveloped a bitter and extended period of frigid weather, with temperatures hovering in the minus 20 to minus 40 Celsius range for multiple weeks. On Tuesday, Braeburn in the Yukon recorded -55.7C, marking its chilliest December reading in half a century.

Enduring Chill of Extreme Cold

Meanwhile, Mayo and Dawson endured 16 consecutive nights below -40C, with Mayo experiencing a low of -50.4C on Monday. Whitehorse also recorded ten separate nights when the cold dipped under -30 Celsius.

The deep freeze spread farther south through Christmas week. On Christmas Day, overnight temperatures in Edmonton fell below -28C.

The day after Christmas was forecast to deliver readings no higher than -20 Celsius in numerous areas, including Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa and Quebec.

Expected to Continue Through Early January

The severe cold is forecast to persist through the start of January. Officials have warned that the Yukon could face electricity outages soon, as the system endures record-high pressure from record-high energy demand.

This extended freeze is the result of the Arctic vortex settling over Canada for much of December, 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 US and into parts of southern Canada.

Pronounced Disparity to American Heat

Conversely, sections of America recorded historically high temperatures for Christmas 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.

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. Metropolitan areas such as Austin, Dallas, and Charlotte similarly saw thermometers rise past the 25C mark.

Atmospheric Ridge Sustains High Temperatures

Unseasonable heat is predicted to persist for the remainder of the week and beyond, with abnormal warmth projected to move across the southeastern US in the coming days.

The warmth has been fuelled 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 blanketing a significant part of the landmass, trapping warm air near the surface. As air sinks through the atmosphere, it compresses and heats further, allowing unusually warm temperatures to build.