Record Cold Grips Northern Canada Amid Warmest Christmas Day on Record in US
Northern Canada is enduring an intense and prolonged cold spell, with temperatures routinely between -20C and -40C.
Braeburn in Yukon recorded -55.7C, marking the coldest December temperature there since 1975.
Mayo and Dawson have experienced 16 consecutive nights below -40C; Mayo fell to -50.4C.
Whitehorse logged 10 nights under -30C.
On Christmas Day, Edmonton's temperature dropped below -28C, with Boxing Day lows expected to remain at least -20C across Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa, and Quebec.
This deep freeze is forecast to persist into the new year, placing strain on Yukon's power grid and raising the possibility of electricity outages due to record high demand.
The cold spell is linked to a polar vortex anchored over Canada for much of December, which has allowed bitter Arctic air to spill south.
However, next week the cold air mass is expected to retreat northward as milder Pacific air moves into the US and southern Canada.
Meanwhile, the United States experienced the warmest Christmas Day on record, with temperatures about 15–30C above seasonal averages.
Oklahoma City reached 25C, surpassing the previous record of 22C set in 1982.
Other cities such as Austin, Dallas, and Charlotte also registered temperatures above 25C, marking widespread unseasonable warmth.
This warmth in the US is driven by a strong upper-level ridge, or heat dome, extending from the desert southwest toward the northeast, stacking high pressure and compressing descending air.
