Whitehorse is a city of 28,000 inhabitants, located in northwestern Canada, in the Yukon Territory, of which it is the capital, at 650 meters (2,100 feet) above sea level and at 60 degrees north latitude.
, which block the mild, humid air that could arrive from the Pacific Ocean. However, the climate is relatively milder than in the rest of the Yukon Territory, which is located further north or farther from the sea.
is scarce, averaging 280 millimetres (11 inches) per year. If we exclude some villages in the Arctic area, Whitehorse is the driest city in Canada. The rainiest season is summer, while in winter, snowfall is frequent but not heavy.
fall per year. It usually snows from October to April, but it can occasionally snow even in late September and early May.
of the year, temperatures drop to -35 °C (-31 °F) or below every year. The coldest record is -52.2 °C (-62 °F), set during the cold wave that, between late January and early February 1947, brought the coldest record in Canada and all of North America, -62.8 °C (-81 °F) in Snag, still in the Yukon but north of Whitehorse. After 2000, the temperature dropped to -46.6 °C (-51.9 °F) in January 2005.
, during which the temperature can reach 28/30 °C (82/86 °F), and occasionally higher. The highest record is 34.4 °C (93.9 °F), set in June 1969.
, since we are south of the Arctic Circle, the sun also rises on the shortest days of the year, and sets on the longest.
, in which it is not completely dark all night, occur from May 9 to August 3.
. Here are the average temperatures.
January, the coldest month of the year, is generally a freezing cold month. The average temperature is of
-15 °C, with a minimum of
-18.9 °C and a maximum of
-11.1 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-38 °C. However, it dropped to
-47 °C in January 1996.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
3.5 °C. However, it reached
10 °C in January 2009.
Precipitation amounts to
22.3 mm, distributed over 6 days.
The day lasts on average 6 hours and 40 minutes. So the days are short.
There are on average 1.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 21% of the time.
The average humidity is 75%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
13.3 kph.
February is generally a freezing cold month. The average temperature is of
-11.9 °C, with a minimum of
-16.6 °C and a maximum of
-7.1 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-32 °C. However, it dropped to
-44 °C in February 2008.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
3.5 °C. However, it reached
11.5 °C in February 1992.
Precipitation amounts to
14.7 mm, distributed over 5 days.
The day lasts on average 9 hours and 10 minutes.
There are on average 4 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 41% of the time.
The average humidity is 72%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
13.6 kph.
March is generally a freezing cold month. The average temperature is of
-6.7 °C, with a minimum of
-12.3 °C and a maximum of
-1.1 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-29 °C. However, it dropped to
-37.3 °C in March 2006.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
7 °C. However, it reached
16 °C in March 2016.
Precipitation amounts to
11.5 mm, distributed over 4 days.
The day lasts on average 12 hours and 0 minutes.
There are on average 5.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 44% of the time.
The average humidity is 61%.
The average wind speed is of
13.2 kph.
April is generally a cold month. The average temperature is of
1.5 °C, with a minimum of
-4 °C and a maximum of
7.1 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-14.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-26.9 °C in April 2002.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
14.5 °C. However, it reached
21.3 °C in April 2003.
Precipitation amounts to only
8.4 mm, distributed over 3 days.
The day lasts on average 14 hours and 50 minutes.
There are on average 8 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 54% of the time.
The average humidity is 54%.
The average wind speed is of
13 kph.
May is generally a quite mild month. The average temperature is of
8 °C, with a minimum of
1.6 °C and a maximum of
14.3 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-4.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-13 °C in May 2002.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
22 °C. However, it reached
28.8 °C in May 1998.
Precipitation amounts to
15.4 mm, distributed over 4 days.
The day lasts on average 17 hours and 30 minutes. So the days are very long.
There are on average 8 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 46% of the time.
The average humidity is 49%.
The average wind speed is of
13 kph.
June is generally a mild month. However, there are remarkable differences between night and day. The average temperature is of
12.8 °C, with a minimum of
6.2 °C and a maximum of
19.3 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
0 °C. However, it dropped to
-3.1 °C in June 2005.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
27 °C. However, it reached
33.4 °C in June 2004.
Precipitation amounts to
35.2 mm, distributed over 7 days.
The day lasts on average 19 hours and 0 minutes. So the days are very long. June 21, the summer solstice, is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
There are on average 9 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 47% of the time.
The average humidity is 53%.
The average wind speed is of
11.6 kph.
July, the warmest month of the year, is generally a mild month. The average temperature is of
14.4 °C, with a minimum of
8.5 °C and a maximum of
20.4 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
3.5 °C. However, it dropped to
0 °C in July 1999.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
27.5 °C. However, it reached
33.2 °C in July 2009.
Precipitation amounts to
39.2 mm, distributed over 8 days.
The day lasts on average 18 hours and 5 minutes. So the days are very long.
There are on average 8 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 44% of the time.
The average humidity is 59%.
The average wind speed is of
11.2 kph.
August is generally a mild month. The average temperature is of
12.8 °C, with a minimum of
7.2 °C and a maximum of
18.4 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
1 °C. However, it dropped to
-3 °C in August 1998.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
26.5 °C. However, it reached
31.6 °C in August 1999.
Precipitation amounts to
39 mm, distributed over 8 days.
The day lasts on average 15 hours and 30 minutes. So the days are long.
There are on average 7.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 47% of the time.
The average humidity is 62%.
The average wind speed is of
11.8 kph.
September is generally a quite mild month. The average temperature is of
7.5 °C, with a minimum of
2.7 °C and a maximum of
12.3 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-4.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-8 °C in September 1992.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
19.5 °C. However, it reached
25 °C in September 2017.
Precipitation amounts to
30.9 mm, distributed over 7 days.
The day lasts on average 12 hours and 40 minutes.
There are on average 4.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 35% of the time.
The average humidity is 67%.
The average wind speed is of
13.5 kph.
October is generally a cold month. The average temperature is of
0.8 °C, with a minimum of
-2.8 °C and a maximum of
4.3 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-13.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-21.1 °C in October 1991.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
12.5 °C. However, it reached
19.3 °C in October 2003.
Precipitation amounts to
23.1 mm, distributed over 6 days.
The day lasts on average 9 hours and 55 minutes.
There are on average 2.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 28% of the time.
The average humidity is 74%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
14.1 kph.
November is generally a freezing cold month. The average temperature is of
-8.6 °C, with a minimum of
-11.9 °C and a maximum of
-5.3 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-26 °C. However, it dropped to
-41 °C in November 2006.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
4.5 °C. However, it reached
10.8 °C in November 2002.
Precipitation amounts to
23.5 mm, distributed over 7 days.
The day lasts on average 7 hours and 20 minutes. So the days are short.
There are on average 1.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 18% of the time.
The average humidity is 78%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
14.5 kph.
December is generally a freezing cold month. The average temperature is of
-12.8 °C, with a minimum of
-16.5 °C and a maximum of
-9.1 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-32.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-45 °C in December 1992.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
3.5 °C. However, it reached
10.6 °C in December 2004.
Precipitation amounts to
16.4 mm, distributed over 6 days.
The day lasts on average 5 hours and 50 minutes. So the days are short. December 21, the winter solstice, is the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
There are on average 1 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 15% of the time.
The average humidity is 77%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
14.8 kph.