Whitehorse

Geography and Climate

Geography

Situated in the wide valley of the Yukon River and the Yukon Southern Lakes Ecoregion, the geography around Whitehorse is characterized by broad valleys and large lakes.  It is surrounded by three nearby mountains: Grey Mountain to the east, Haeckel Hill to the northwest and Golden Horn Mountain to the south.

Permafrost underlies less than one-quarter of the landscape in this ecoregion; east of Whitehorse, less than 8%of the Alaska Highway is built on permafrost.

This ecoregion also supports the highest diversity of mammals in the Yukon, with at least 50 of the 60 species known to occur in the Yukon at present.

Climate

The weather in Whitehorse ranges from sunny, warm summers to cold, snowy winters. In summer, the temperature can be plus 30 Celsius and the hot spot of Canada while in winter it can drop to minus 30 Celsius.

In this land of the ‘midnight sun’, daylight hours in summer can be as much as 20 hours of sunlight per day, in winter it can be as short as 6.5 hours per day. 

Average daytime temperature in winter reaches a maximum of minus 13.3 degrees Celsius in January, dropping to minus 22 degrees Celsius overnight.

On average, the daytime temperatures in July reach a maximum of 20.5 degrees Celsius, with overnight lows of 7.7 Celsius.

Whitehorse has a relatively dry climate; annual precipitation over the past 30 years has averaged 267 millimetres, including 163 mm of rain and 145 centimetres of snow.

More Information?

• Yukon Geological Survey
  Provides information on geoscience and related technical information for all areas of Yukon
• Ecoregions of the Yukon Territory - Biophysical Properties of a Yukon Landscape
  Publication of the Yukon Geological Survey provides an in-depth look at the physical and biological conditions in every part of the territory, and describes the major elements of each ecosystem
• Environment Yukon
  Provides information and detailed maps on wildlife, parks and recreation, air, soil, water and more
• Environment Canada 
  Provides current weather conditions.
• Energy, Mines and Resources 
  Provides information not only on mining, but agriculture, energy, forestry and more
• The Department of Highways and Public Works
  Responsible for ensuring safe and efficient public highways, airstrips, buildings and information systems