Deep Freeze Tightens Hold on the Great White North as United States Experiences Most Unseasonably Mild Christmas on Record.
A prolonged deep freeze has enveloped a bitter and extended period of frigid weather, with thermometers lingering from 20 to 40 degrees below zero for multiple weeks. On Tuesday, Braeburn in the Yukon recorded -55.7C, marking its chilliest December reading in nearly five decades.
Enduring Chill of Extreme Cold
In addition, the locales of Mayo and Dawson suffered through over two straight weeks of nights below -40C, with the temperature in Mayo bottoming out at -50.4 degrees Celsius at the start of the week. Whitehorse similarly reported ten separate nights when the cold dipped under -30 Celsius.
The deep freeze spread farther south through Christmas week. In Edmonton, the Christmas overnight low dipped under -28 degrees Celsius.
December 26th was anticipated to usher in minimum temperatures of at least minus 20C through a wide swath, from Edmonton in the west to Quebec in the east.
Expected to Continue For Days to Come
This harsh winter weather is expected to continue for the foreseeable future. Officials have warned that the Yukon could face electricity outages soon, as its energy infrastructure faces unprecedented demand from historically high electricity consumption.
The lengthy cold snap originates from a stationary polar vortex 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 allowing more temperate air from the Pacific to sweep across the US and into parts of southern Canada.
Dramatic Difference Compared to Stateside Temperatures
Conversely, sections of America recorded historically high temperatures for Christmas as readings skyrocketed 15 to 30 degrees Celsius above normal. In many areas, conditions felt more typical of April or May than late December.
A number of states broke historical records for December 25th warmth. The capital of Oklahoma soared to 25C on Christmas Day, topping the prior high mark of 22 degrees established over forty years ago. Urban centers like Austin, Dallas, and Charlotte, North Carolina similarly saw thermometers rise past the 25C mark.
Atmospheric Ridge Fuels Warmth
Above-average warmth is expected to continue for the remainder of the week and beyond, with unseasonable heat forecast to sweep through the American Southeast soon.
The warmth has been fuelled by a powerful high-altitude 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 blanketing a significant part of the landmass, effectively capping warm air at lower altitudes. Sinking atmospheric air undergoes compression and additional heating, fostering the buildup of exceptional warmth.
