🔗 Share this article Arctic Blast Envelops the Great White North as America Sees Warmest Christmas in History. A prolonged deep freeze has enveloped an intense and prolonged cold spell, with thermometers lingering from 20 to 40 degrees below zero for multiple weeks. On Tuesday, Braeburn in the Yukon recorded -55.7C, its coldest December temperature in nearly five decades. Enduring Chill in the Deep Minus Forties Similarly, the communities of Mayo and Dawson experienced sixteen nights in a row below -40C, with Mayo plunging to -50.4C at the start of the week. The capital, Whitehorse, likewise saw ten separate nights when the cold dipped under -30 Celsius. The deep freeze spread farther south during the holiday season. In Edmonton, the Christmas overnight low dipped under -28 degrees Celsius. December 26th was anticipated to usher in minimum temperatures of at least minus 20C across many regions, encompassing cities from Edmonton to Quebec. Likely to Linger into the New Year The frigid conditions are predicted to linger for the foreseeable future. Officials have warned that the Yukon could face electricity outages soon, as its energy infrastructure faces unprecedented demand from peak power usage levels. The prolonged chill has been caused by a stationary polar vortex above Canadian territory through December, which funnels frigid northern air southward. 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. Stark Contrast with US Warmth Conversely, sections of America recorded the hottest December 25th in their history as readings skyrocketed 15 to 30 degrees Celsius above normal. Across wide regions, the atmosphere was more akin to late spring than late December. A number of states broke historical records for December 25th warmth. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, reached 25 degrees Celsius on Christmas, exceeding the old record of 22C from 1982. Cities including Austin and Dallas, in Texas, and Charlotte, North Carolina also logged readings above 25 degrees Celsius. Atmospheric Ridge Sustains High Temperatures 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. The unseasonable temperatures are powered by a powerful high-altitude 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, which holds warm air close to the ground. Descending air compresses and adiabatically warms, allowing unusually warm temperatures to build.