Whitehorse Snowfall Totals & Accumulation Averages
This page pulls together information on when, how much and how often Whitehorse, Yukon has snow.
There are data and descriptions here of how many days it snows and the total amount of snowfall that Whitehorse usually gets. There are also monthly and yearly counts of the days that Whitehorse normally has heavy snowstorms and deep snow accumulated on the ground. Plus there's information on when the city can expect its first and last snowfalls of the season.
All the numbers are long-term historical averages based on weather data gathered from 1981 to 2010 at the Whitehorse Airport.
How Often it Snows in Whitehorse
This first table lists monthly and yearly totals for amount of snow and how many days it snows at least 0.2 centimetres (0.08 inches).
| Days | Inches | Centimetres | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11.9 | January | 10.0 | 25 |
| 9.1 | February | 7.2 | 18 |
| 7.0 | March | 5.8 | 15 |
| 3.8 | April | 2.8 | 7 |
| 1.2 | May | 0.8 | 2 |
| 0.3 | August | 0.1 | 0 |
| 1.5 | September | 1.8 | 5 |
| 7.9 | October | 7.3 | 19 |
| 12.4 | November | 10.6 | 27 |
| 12.2 | December | 9.2 | 23 |
| 67.4 | Year | 55.8 | 142 |
When Whitehorse Has Its First & Last Snowfalls
The first snowfall of autumn for Whitehorse usually arrives in September or October, but can show up as early as August.
The season's last snowfall typically happens in April or May although in some years a late snow lands in June.
Only in July is Whitehorse normally free of snow every year.
How Many Snowstorms Whitehorse Gets
Most days of snowfall in Whitehorse leave less than five centimetres (2 inches) of fresh snow on the ground. For eight days a year on average, the amount of new snow totals at least five cm.
Big snowstorms of over ten cm a day normally occur once or twice a year. But major blizzards that dump 25 cm or more in one day are extremely rare events that aren't normally expected here.
| 5 cm 2.0 inches |
10 cm 3.9 inches |
25 cm 9.8 inches | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1.5 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
| February | 1.2 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
| March | 1.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| April | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| May | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| September | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| October | 1.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| November | 1.4 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
| December | 1.1 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
| Year | 8.2 | 1.3 | 0.0 |
How Much Snow Normally Accumulates in Whitehorse
For about 171 days, nearly half the year, Whitehorse has at least a centimetre of snow on the ground. In mid-winter the snowpack averages 25 cm deep.
| 1 cm 0.4 inches |
5 cm 2.0 inches |
10 cm 3.9 inches |
20 cm 7.9 inches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31.0 | 31.0 | January | 30.6 | 17.1 |
| 28.2 | 28.1 | February | 27.7 | 22.2 |
| 29.2 | 29.0 | March | 26.3 | 19.6 |
| 14.4 | 11.2 | April | 9.2 | 6.5 |
| 0.3 | 0.0 | May | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 0.1 | 0.0 | August | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 1.0 | 0.4 | September | 0.3 | 0.0 |
| 8.5 | 3.6 | October | 1.8 | 0.0 |
| 28.3 | 23.3 | November | 14.9 | 2.0 |
| 30.3 | 29.2 | December | 23.4 | 9.7 |
| 171.1 | 155.8 | Year | 134.0 | 77.1 |
Reference
Environment Canada. Meteorological Service of Canada. Canadian Climate Normals. 1981-2010 Climate Normals & Averages.