🔗 Share this article

A prolonged deep freeze has enveloped a severe and lengthy Arctic outbreak, with readings persisting between -20C and -40C for multiple weeks. A reading of -55.7 Celsius was logged in Braeburn, Yukon, on Tuesday, its coldest December temperature in half a century.

Prolonged Freeze of Extreme Cold

In addition, the locales of Mayo and Dawson suffered through 16 consecutive nights below -40C, with Mayo plunging to -50.4C on Monday. Whitehorse similarly reported 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.

Boxing Day was expected to bring minimum temperatures of at least minus 20C in numerous areas, encompassing cities from Edmonton to Quebec.

Forecast to Persist Through Early January

The frigid conditions are predicted to linger for the foreseeable future. Officials have warned that the Yukon could face electricity outages in the coming days, as the system endures record-high pressure from historically high electricity consumption.

This extended freeze is the result of the Arctic vortex settling over Canada for much of December, which funnels frigid northern air southward. Next week, the cold air mass is expected to retreat north slowly, permitting warmer Pacific winds to flow over America and reach into portions of southern Canada.

Stark Contrast to American Heat

Conversely, sections of America recorded 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 instead of the heart of winter.

Several states set Christmas Day temperature records. In Oklahoma, Oklahoma City hit 25C on Tuesday, surpassing the previous peak of 22C set in 1982. Metropolitan areas such as Austin, Dallas, and Charlotte were also among those that recorded temperatures above 25C.

Heat-Dome Effect Sustains High Temperatures

Above-average warmth is expected to continue for the remainder of the week and beyond, with unseasonable heat forecast to sweep into the south-eastern states later in the week.

The unseasonable temperatures are powered by a powerful high-altitude ridge stretching from the southwestern deserts northward and eastward, creating a heat-dome effect. This setup creates an extensive zone of high atmospheric pressure over a large portion of North America, which holds warm air close to the ground. Sinking atmospheric air undergoes compression and additional heating, enabling abnormally high temperatures to develop.