Photo: Susan Drury from Watson Lake, Canada · CC BY 2.0Few Canadian towns have colder winter nights than Watson Lake
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 21.3°C on average. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 98% of Canadian towns. Expect the most rain and snow in July and the least in April. Heating does most of its work from September to May, in months below 10°C on average.
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals, measured at Watson Lake, 8.0 km north-west.
A year in Watson Lake at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, in °C.
What stands out about Watson Lake’s climate
Compared with Canadian towns, with its place among towns of 2,500+ in Yukon beside it.
What a year in Watson Lake feels like
Seasons and months as ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals give them: a typical day’s high and low.
224 frost days and 49 days above 20°C a year
The frost season runs September to May, and January freezes nearly every night. On about 90 nights a year the air falls below −20°C.
Frost days by month
Average days at 0°C or below
Days above 20°C by month
Average days
417 mm of precipitation in a typical year
Some 95 days a year see 1 mm of rain or snow or more.
Rain and snow by month
Millimetres
Rain alone by month
Millimetres
About 197 cm of snow a year
From September to May snow is likely; January is the peak, at about 41 cm.
Snowfall by month
Centimetres
Snow on the ground by month
Centimetres at month’s end
Heating a home in Watson Lake
86% of a year’s heating need falls between October and April. Months averaging under 10°C: September to May.
A day averaging 10 degrees under 18°C adds 10 to the total; warm days add nothing. Over a year, a home here needs more heating than almost every Canadian town.
Living with Watson Lake’s climate
Gardening, time outside, winter cold and summer heat, from the 1991–2020 normals.
A normal year gives the garden about 101 frost-free days, roughly 27 May to 6 September.
The outdoor season by the averages is Jul, with highs of 17–27°C and lows of 8°C or more.
Parks & trails →Bitter wind chill, under −20, comes on about 83 days a year.
The humidex tops 30 on about 1 days a year: muggy days to plan around.
The normals describe a typical year, not its worst days; the hazards page covers Watson Lake’s.
Flood & hazards →ECCC’s normals location: Watson Lake
Behind the 1991–2020 normals for Watson Lake are 3 stations, which ECCC combines into one record.
| Distance from the town | 8.0 km north-west |
| Station altitude | 687 m |
| Completeness | meets the WMO “3 and 5” rule |
| WMO standard normals | No |
| Coldest reading, 1991–2020 | −53.0°C |
| Hottest reading, 1991–2020 | 35.4°C |
| Average wind | 6.2 km/h on average, most often from the west |
| Next-nearest location | Hour Lake, 125 km |
How Watson Lake compares
Placed among 2,611 Canadian towns and neighbourhoods of 2,500+, each on its nearest normals location; each dot is another location used in Yukon.
Watson Lake weather by month
Average daily high and low, mean temperature, rain and snow (as water) and snowfall by month, 1991–2020.
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Rain & snow | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −16.7°C | −26.7°C | −21.7°C | 33 mm | 41 cm |
| February | −9.8°C | −23.2°C | −16.5°C | 18 mm | 24 cm |
| March | −2.2°C | −18.1°C | −10.2°C | 15 mm | 18 cm |
| April | 7.0°C | −6.6°C | 0.2°C | 15 mm | 12 cm |
| May | 14.7°C | 1.8°C | 8.3°C | 29 mm | 4 cm |
| June | 19.7°C | 7.4°C | 13.6°C | 56 mm | 0 cm |
| July | 21.3°C | 9.3°C | 15.3°C | 58 mm | 0 cm |
| August | 19.1°C | 7.2°C | 13.2°C | 50 mm | under 1 cm |
| September | 13.0°C | 2.5°C | 7.7°C | 46 mm | 1 cm |
| October | 3.6°C | −4.5°C | −0.4°C | 35 mm | 21 cm |
| November | −9.3°C | −18.5°C | −13.9°C | 31 mm | 36 cm |
| December | −15.6°C | −25.1°C | −20.4°C | 31 mm | 40 cm |
| Year | 3.7°C | −7.9°C | −2.1°C | 417 mm | 197 cm |
The most changeable month: January, give or take 4.8°C; the steadiest, July
The thirty-year records stretch furthest in February: a low of −50.3°C in 2008 and a high of 12.2°C in 1992.
Where Watson Lake’s numbers come from
Averages over 30 years, not a forecast.
- Normals: ECCC’s normals for Watson Lake, 1991–2020, chosen as the nearest location with a full temperature record.
- Comparisons: the 2,500-plus towns and neighbourhoods of Canada, each read from its closest normals location; whole cities and reserves aren’t counted.
- Not on this page: sunshine, which none of ECCC’s 450 locations publishes for 1991–2020, and the town’s own height above sea level, so no figure is adjusted for altitude.
Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 · ECCC Data Services End-use Licence. Data Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada
Questions about Watson Lake’s climate
How warm does Watson Lake get in summer?
Expect highs near 21.3°C in July, the hottest month on average.
How cold does Watson Lake get in winter?
On a normal January night the air drops to −26.7°C, the coldest of the year.
How much rain and snow does Watson Lake get?
417 mm a year counting snow as water. The wettest month is July (58 mm); the driest, April (15 mm).
How long does snow stay on the ground?
Snow cover of 1 cm or more lasts about 189 days in a typical year.
Are these figures for Watson Lake itself?
Yes: ECCC’s normals station is inside Watson Lake itself.
Data Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada · ECCC Data Services End-use Licence Today’s forecast for Watson Lake →
Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).