🔗 Share this article Prolonged Chill Grips Canada as US Records Most Unseasonably Mild Christmas on Record. 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 multiple weeks. A reading of -55.7 Celsius was logged in Braeburn, Yukon, on Tuesday, representing its most frigid December day since 1975. Enduring Chill in the Deep Minus Forties Meanwhile, Mayo and Dawson endured sixteen nights in a row dipping under the minus 40 Celsius threshold, with the temperature in Mayo bottoming out at -50.4 degrees Celsius at the start of the week. The capital, Whitehorse, likewise saw a series of ten nights when the cold dipped under -30 Celsius. The bitter chill extended its reach south during the holiday season. Christmas night saw Edmonton's temperatures plummet below minus 28C. Boxing Day was expected to bring lows of at least -20C in numerous areas, from Edmonton in the west to Quebec in the east. 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 its energy infrastructure faces unprecedented demand from historically high electricity consumption. The lengthy cold snap originates from the Arctic vortex settling across the northern part of the continent this month, enabling a surge of icy Arctic winds to descend. 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. Stark Contrast to American Heat Conversely, sections of America recorded the hottest December 25th in their history as temperatures soared about 15-30C above the seasonal average. Across wide regions, the atmosphere was more akin to late spring instead of the heart of winter. Multiple states established new Christmas temperature highs. The capital of Oklahoma soared to 25C on Christmas Day, exceeding the old record of 22C from 1982. Urban centers like Austin, Dallas, and Charlotte, North Carolina similarly saw thermometers rise past the 25C mark. Atmospheric Ridge Drives the Heat 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. The unseasonable temperatures are powered by a robust atmospheric ridge reaching from the arid southwest across the continent, establishing a classic heat-dome pattern. This pattern establishes a broad area of high pressure across much of the continent, trapping warm air near the surface. Descending air compresses and adiabatically warms, fostering the buildup of exceptional warmth.