🔗 Share this article Arctic Blast Grips Canada as America Sees Warmest Christmas in History. An intense cold spell has seized a bitter and extended period of frigid weather, with temperatures hovering from 20 to 40 degrees below zero for an extended duration. On Tuesday, Braeburn in the Yukon recorded -55.7C, marking its chilliest December reading since 1975. Prolonged Freeze Below -40C Similarly, the communities of Mayo and Dawson experienced sixteen nights in a row colder than minus 40 degrees, with the temperature in Mayo bottoming out at -50.4 degrees Celsius at the start of the week. Whitehorse similarly reported a series of ten nights when readings fell to minus 30 degrees or lower. This Arctic air mass pushed further southward during the holiday season. Christmas night saw Edmonton's temperatures plummet below minus 28C. The day after Christmas was forecast to deliver readings no higher than -20 Celsius across many regions, encompassing cities from Edmonton to Quebec. Expected to Continue For Days to Come The frigid conditions are predicted to linger into the new year. There are warnings of possible electrical grid strain in Yukon territory in the coming days, as the territory’s power grid comes under strain from record-high energy demand. The lengthy cold snap originates from the polar vortex remaining anchored across the northern part of the continent this month, enabling a surge of icy Arctic winds to descend. In the coming week, forecasts indicate this cold air will pull back northward slowly, permitting warmer Pacific winds to flow over America and reach into portions of southern Canada. Dramatic Difference Compared to Stateside Temperatures Conversely, sections of America recorded 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. A number of states broke historical records for December 25th warmth. The capital of Oklahoma soared to 25C on Christmas Day, surpassing the previous peak of 22C set in 1982. Cities including Austin and Dallas, in Texas, and Charlotte, North Carolina also logged readings above 25 degrees Celsius. High-Pressure System Sustains High Temperatures Unseasonable heat is predicted to persist on December 26th and into the weekend, with atypical high temperatures expected to spread through the American Southeast soon. This heat is being driven by a strong upper-level ridge extending from the desert south-west towards the north and east, creating a heat-dome effect. This pattern establishes a broad area of high pressure across much of the continent, effectively capping warm air at lower altitudes. Sinking atmospheric air undergoes compression and additional heating, allowing unusually warm temperatures to build.