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A prolonged deep freeze has enveloped an intense and prolonged cold spell, with temperatures hovering in the minus 20 to minus 40 Celsius range for an extended duration. On Tuesday, Braeburn in the Yukon recorded -55.7C, representing its most frigid December day since 1975.

Prolonged Freeze of Extreme Cold

Meanwhile, Mayo and Dawson endured sixteen nights in a row dipping under the minus 40 Celsius threshold, with Mayo experiencing a low of -50.4C on Monday. Whitehorse also recorded ten separate nights when temperatures dropped below -30C.

The deep freeze spread farther south through Christmas week. 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, including Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa and Quebec.

Expected to Continue For Days to Come

The severe cold is forecast to persist into the new year. Authorities have cautioned about potential power failures in the Yukon in the coming days, as its energy infrastructure faces unprecedented demand from historically high electricity consumption.

The lengthy cold snap originates from the polar vortex remaining anchored across the northern part of the continent this month, enabling a surge of icy Arctic winds to descend. The frigid dome is projected to gradually withdraw north gradually, enabling milder Pacific air to move across America and reach into portions of southern Canada.

Pronounced Disparity with US Warmth

In stark contrast, parts of the US experienced their warmest Christmas Day on record as temperatures soared about 15-30C above the seasonal average. For numerous locations, the weather resembled a spring day in April or May than late December.

Several states set Christmas Day temperature records. 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.

High-Pressure System Drives the Heat

Unseasonable heat is predicted to persist for the remainder of the week and beyond, with atypical high temperatures expected to spread through the American Southeast soon.

This heat is being driven by a robust atmospheric ridge reaching from the arid southwest across the continent, establishing a classic heat-dome pattern. Such a configuration results in a widespread high-pressure system across much of the continent, which holds warm air close to the ground. As air sinks through the atmosphere, it compresses and heats further, enabling abnormally high temperatures to develop.