🔗 Share this article Deep Freeze Grips Canada as US Records Hottest Christmas Ever. Northern Canada has been gripped by a bitter and extended period of frigid weather, with thermometers lingering between -20C and -40C for multiple weeks. On Tuesday, Braeburn in the Yukon recorded -55.7C, its coldest December temperature in half a century. Enduring Chill of Extreme Cold Meanwhile, Mayo and Dawson endured 16 consecutive nights colder than minus 40 degrees, with Mayo plunging to -50.4C earlier this week. Whitehorse similarly reported a series of ten nights when readings fell to minus 30 degrees or lower. The deep freeze spread farther south during the holiday season. On Christmas Day, overnight temperatures in Edmonton fell below -28C. The day after Christmas was forecast to deliver readings no higher than -20 Celsius in numerous areas, encompassing cities from Edmonton to Quebec. Forecast to Persist into the New Year The severe cold is forecast to persist into the new year. Officials have warned that the Yukon could face electricity outages soon, as the territory’s power grid comes under strain from peak power usage levels. The prolonged chill has been caused by a stationary polar vortex over Canada for much of December, enabling a surge of icy Arctic winds to descend. The frigid dome is projected to gradually withdraw north slowly, permitting warmer Pacific winds to flow over the US and into parts of southern Canada. Pronounced Disparity Compared to Stateside Temperatures Conversely, sections of America recorded historically high temperatures for Christmas 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. In Oklahoma, Oklahoma City hit 25C on Tuesday, topping the prior high mark of 22 degrees established over forty years ago. Metropolitan areas such as Austin, Dallas, and Charlotte also logged readings above 25 degrees Celsius. Atmospheric Ridge Fuels Warmth Unseasonable heat is predicted to persist through Boxing Day and the days ahead, with atypical high temperatures expected to spread across the southeastern US in the coming days. This heat is being driven by a strong upper-level ridge stretching from the southwestern deserts northward and eastward, creating a heat-dome effect. This setup creates an extensive zone of high atmospheric pressure over a large portion of North America, trapping warm air near the surface. Sinking atmospheric air undergoes compression and additional heating, allowing unusually warm temperatures to build.