Arctic Blast Envelops the Great White North as US Records Warmest Christmas on Record.
An intense cold spell has seized an intense and prolonged cold spell, with readings persisting between -20C and -40C for weeks. On Tuesday, Braeburn in the Yukon recorded -55.7C, its coldest December temperature since 1975.
Prolonged Freeze of Extreme Cold
Similarly, the communities of Mayo and Dawson experienced sixteen nights in a row below -40C, with the temperature in Mayo bottoming out at -50.4 degrees Celsius at the start of the week. Whitehorse also recorded 10 nights when temperatures dropped below -30C.
The deep freeze spread farther south during the holiday season. In Edmonton, the Christmas overnight low dipped under -28 degrees Celsius.
December 26th was anticipated to usher in readings no higher than -20 Celsius across many regions, including Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa and Quebec.
Forecast to Persist into the New Year
This harsh winter weather is expected to continue for the foreseeable future. There are warnings of possible electrical grid strain in Yukon territory soon, as the system endures record-high pressure from record-high energy demand.
This extended freeze is the result of a stationary polar vortex across the northern part of the continent this month, allowing bitter Arctic air to spill south. The frigid dome is projected to gradually withdraw north slowly, permitting warmer Pacific winds to flow over the United States and penetrate southern Canadian regions.
Dramatic Difference to American Heat
In stark contrast, parts of the US experienced their warmest Christmas Day on record as readings skyrocketed 15 to 30 degrees Celsius above normal. For numerous locations, the weather resembled a spring day in April or May than late December.
Multiple states established new Christmas temperature highs. The capital of Oklahoma soared to 25C on Christmas Day, surpassing the previous peak of 22C set in 1982. Urban centers like Austin, Dallas, and Charlotte, North Carolina similarly saw thermometers rise past the 25C mark.
High-Pressure System Fuels Warmth
Above-average warmth is expected to continue on December 26th and into the weekend, with abnormal warmth projected to move through the American Southeast soon.
The warmth has been fuelled by a strong upper-level ridge extending from the desert south-west towards the north and east, which generates a heat-dome phenomenon. Such a configuration results in a widespread high-pressure system across much of the continent, which holds warm air close to the ground. Sinking atmospheric air undergoes compression and additional heating, enabling abnormally high temperatures to develop.
