🔗 Share this article Arctic Blast Grips the Great White North as US Records Warmest Christmas on Record. Northern Canada has been gripped by a severe and lengthy Arctic outbreak, 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 nearly five decades. Prolonged Freeze Below -40C In addition, the locales of Mayo and Dawson suffered through over two straight weeks of nights colder than minus 40 degrees, with the temperature in Mayo bottoming out at -50.4 degrees Celsius earlier this week. Whitehorse also recorded 10 nights when the cold dipped under -30 Celsius. This Arctic air mass pushed further southward during the holiday season. Christmas night saw Edmonton's temperatures plummet below minus 28C. December 26th was anticipated to usher in lows of at least -20C across many regions, from Edmonton in the west to Quebec in the east. Expected to Continue into the New Year The frigid conditions are predicted to linger through the start of January. Authorities have cautioned about potential power failures in the Yukon soon, as its energy infrastructure faces unprecedented demand from peak power usage levels. This extended freeze is the result of a stationary polar vortex above Canadian territory through December, allowing bitter Arctic air to spill south. In the coming week, forecasts indicate this cold air will pull back northward gradually, enabling milder Pacific air to move across America and reach into portions of southern Canada. Dramatic Difference with US Warmth In stark contrast, parts of the US experienced the hottest December 25th in their history as the mercury climbed roughly 15 to 30 degrees above typical averages. Across wide regions, the atmosphere was more akin to late spring instead of the heart of winter. A number of states broke historical records for December 25th warmth. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, reached 25 degrees Celsius on Christmas, topping the prior high mark of 22 degrees established over forty years ago. Urban centers like Austin, Dallas, 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 through Boxing Day and the days ahead, with abnormal warmth projected to move into the south-eastern states later in the week. This heat is being driven by a robust atmospheric ridge extending from the desert south-west towards the north and east, establishing a classic heat-dome pattern. This pattern establishes a broad area of high pressure over a large portion of North America, trapping warm air near the surface. As air sinks through the atmosphere, it compresses and heats further, allowing unusually warm temperatures to build.