Prolonged Chill Tightens Hold on the Great White North as US Records Hottest Christmas Ever.
Northern Canada has been gripped by an intense and prolonged cold spell, with thermometers lingering in the minus 20 to minus 40 Celsius range for an extended duration. On Tuesday, Braeburn in the Yukon recorded -55.7C, its coldest December temperature in half a century.
Enduring Chill Below -40C
Meanwhile, Mayo and Dawson endured 16 consecutive nights dipping under the minus 40 Celsius threshold, with the temperature in Mayo bottoming out at -50.4 degrees Celsius on Monday. Whitehorse also recorded 10 nights when readings fell to minus 30 degrees or lower.
The bitter chill extended its reach south during the holiday season. Christmas night saw Edmonton's temperatures plummet below minus 28C.
December 26th was anticipated to usher in readings no higher than -20 Celsius in numerous areas, including Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa and Quebec.
Expected to Continue into the New Year
The frigid conditions are predicted to linger through the start of January. Officials have warned that the Yukon could face electricity outages over the next several days, as the system endures record-high pressure from record-high energy demand.
The prolonged chill has been caused by the polar vortex remaining anchored above Canadian territory through December, allowing bitter Arctic air to spill south. Next week, the cold air mass is expected to retreat north gradually, enabling milder Pacific air to move across America and reach into portions of southern Canada.
Pronounced Disparity with US Warmth
Conversely, sections of America recorded historically high temperatures for Christmas as temperatures soared about 15-30C above the seasonal average. Across wide regions, the atmosphere was more akin to late spring rather than the end of December.
Several states set Christmas Day temperature records. The capital of Oklahoma soared to 25C on Christmas Day, 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 Fuels Warmth
Warmer-than-normal conditions are forecast to last on December 26th and into the weekend, with abnormal warmth projected to move through the American Southeast soon.
This heat is being driven by a powerful high-altitude ridge reaching from the arid southwest across the continent, which generates a heat-dome phenomenon. Such a configuration results in a widespread high-pressure system across much of the continent, effectively capping warm air at lower altitudes. As air sinks through the atmosphere, it compresses and heats further, fostering the buildup of exceptional warmth.
