đź”— Share this article Deep Freeze Grips Canada as United States Experiences Warmest Christmas Ever. An intense cold spell has seized a severe and lengthy Arctic outbreak, with temperatures hovering in the minus 20 to minus 40 Celsius range for weeks. This week, the Yukon community of Braeburn saw the mercury drop to -55.7C, representing its most frigid December day in nearly five decades. Prolonged Freeze of Extreme Cold In addition, the locales of Mayo and Dawson suffered through 16 consecutive nights dipping under the minus 40 Celsius threshold, with Mayo plunging to -50.4C earlier this week. Whitehorse also recorded ten separate nights when readings fell to minus 30 degrees or lower. The deep freeze spread farther south through Christmas week. Christmas night saw Edmonton's temperatures plummet below minus 28C. December 26th was anticipated to usher in minimum temperatures of at least minus 20C in numerous areas, including Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa and Quebec. Forecast to Persist into the New Year The severe cold is forecast to persist through the start of January. Authorities have cautioned about potential power failures in the Yukon soon, as its energy infrastructure faces unprecedented demand from historically high electricity consumption. The lengthy cold snap originates from the polar vortex remaining anchored across the northern part of the continent this month, which funnels frigid northern air southward. In the coming week, forecasts indicate this cold air will pull back northward slowly, permitting warmer Pacific winds to flow over the United States and penetrate southern Canadian regions. Stark Contrast to American Heat Conversely, sections of America recorded historically high temperatures for Christmas as temperatures soared about 15-30C above the seasonal average. In many areas, conditions felt more typical of April or May instead of the heart of winter. Multiple states established new Christmas temperature highs. 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. Heat-Dome Effect Sustains High Temperatures Warmer-than-normal conditions are forecast to last through Boxing Day and the days ahead, with atypical high temperatures expected to spread 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, establishing a classic heat-dome pattern. Such a configuration results in a widespread high-pressure system across much of the continent, trapping warm air near the surface. Sinking atmospheric air undergoes compression and additional heating, fostering the buildup of exceptional warmth.