Climate in Yellowknife

Brutal winter in Yellowknife

A family avoiding the cold together

Yellowknife has a harsh reputation due to its extreme climate. It is true that the city has very cold winters (averaging -26°C in January) and warm summers (averaging 17 °C in June). However, the climate in the city is dramatically lower compared to other cites in the same regions, thanks to the Great Slave Lake's humidity. The humidity created by the lake allows the soil in Yellowknife to be "frost-free" for a certain period, which then people can grow local crops. Also, it is a great opportunity to huddle around with your family and staying cozy as well as improving the family's relationship. In addition, you won't need to check the weather outside to determine what to wear, since it will be always be "sweater weather". So no more getting frustrated because it gets too hot in day, and cold in the morning. It will be cold 24/7. Furthermore, Yellowknife offers the community to stay active longer than other regions in Canada. On average, the city is shined with 1034 hours of bright sunshine between June to August, which makes Yellowknife "the sunniest city in Canada". More daylight means more variety of activities enjoyed by both the kids and the parents. 

A snowboarder enjoying the view in Yellowknife

As for precipitation, Yellowknife receives the most rain in August (40 mm of rain) and the most snow in November (35 cm of snow). The rain season begins in around May and ends in October, while the snow season starts in November to April. So, winter sports lovers, come over to Yellowknife and enjoy freshly-packed snow!