🔗 Share this article Prolonged Chill Grips Canada as United States Experiences Hottest Christmas in History. A prolonged deep freeze has enveloped an intense and prolonged cold spell, with thermometers lingering between -20C and -40C for weeks. On Tuesday, Braeburn in the Yukon recorded -55.7C, marking its chilliest December reading in half a century. Enduring Chill Below -40C Meanwhile, Mayo and Dawson endured over two straight weeks of nights 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. 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. On Christmas Day, overnight temperatures in Edmonton fell below -28C. December 26th was anticipated to usher in lows of at least -20C across many regions, encompassing cities from Edmonton to Quebec. Forecast to Persist Through Early January The frigid conditions are predicted to linger through the start of January. There are warnings of possible electrical grid strain in Yukon territory over the next several days, as its energy infrastructure faces unprecedented demand from record-high energy demand. The lengthy cold snap originates from the Arctic vortex settling over Canada for much of December, allowing bitter Arctic air to spill south. Next week, the cold air mass is expected to retreat north slowly, permitting warmer Pacific winds to flow over the US and into parts of southern Canada. Stark Contrast with US Warmth Meanwhile, in a dramatic contrast, areas of the United States saw the hottest December 25th in their history as the mercury climbed roughly 15 to 30 degrees above typical averages. For numerous locations, the weather resembled a spring day in April or May instead of the heart of winter. 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. Metropolitan areas such as Austin, Dallas, and Charlotte also logged readings above 25 degrees Celsius. High-Pressure System Drives the Heat Warmer-than-normal conditions are forecast to last for the remainder of the week and beyond, with abnormal warmth projected to move through the American Southeast soon. This heat is being driven by a robust atmospheric ridge stretching from the southwestern deserts northward and eastward, creating a heat-dome effect. This setup creates an extensive zone of high atmospheric pressure across much of the continent, which holds warm air close to the ground. Descending air compresses and adiabatically warms, enabling abnormally high temperatures to develop.