🔗 Share this article Prolonged Chill Grips Canada as United States Experiences Warmest Christmas on Record. An intense cold spell has seized an intense and prolonged cold spell, with readings persisting between -20C and -40C for an extended duration. On Tuesday, Braeburn in the Yukon recorded -55.7C, its coldest December temperature in nearly five decades. Consecutive Nights Below -40C Similarly, the communities of Mayo and Dawson experienced 16 consecutive nights below -40C, with the temperature in Mayo bottoming out at -50.4 degrees Celsius on Monday. The capital, Whitehorse, likewise saw ten separate nights when temperatures dropped below -30C. The bitter chill extended its reach 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, including Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa and Quebec. Expected to Continue into the New Year The severe cold is forecast to persist into the new year. There are warnings of possible electrical grid strain in Yukon territory over the next several days, as the system endures record-high pressure from record-high energy demand. The prolonged chill has been caused by the polar vortex remaining anchored above Canadian territory through December, allowing bitter Arctic air to spill south. 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. Pronounced Disparity with US Warmth Conversely, sections of America recorded their warmest Christmas Day on record 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 rather than the end of December. Multiple states established new Christmas temperature highs. In Oklahoma, Oklahoma City hit 25C on Tuesday, 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 Fuels Warmth Above-average warmth is expected to continue for the remainder of the week and beyond, with unseasonable heat forecast to sweep into the south-eastern states later in the week. The warmth has been fuelled by a powerful high-altitude ridge stretching from the southwestern deserts northward and eastward, which generates a heat-dome phenomenon. Such a configuration results in a widespread high-pressure system across much of the continent, which holds warm air close to the ground. Sinking atmospheric air undergoes compression and additional heating, fostering the buildup of exceptional warmth.