When to go · Yellowknife
Yellowknife in December
Great month. Inside Yellowknife's best window: Late Aug–mid-Apr for aurora; Jun–Aug for midnight sun, hiking and lake trips.
Key facts
- Verdict
- Great
- Temperature
- −18°C (0°F)0°F (−18°C) / −26°C (−14°F)−14°F (−26°C)
- average high / low
- Rain days
- 15
- Crowds
- Medium
- Canada overall
- Prices
- High
- Canada overall
Verdict
Inside Yellowknife's best window: Late Aug–mid-Apr for aurora; Jun–Aug for midnight sun, hiking and lake trips.
Is another month better than December?
No other month rates higher than December for Yellowknife in this guide.
Weather in December
- YellowknifeHighs around -18 °C (0 °F), lows around -25.6 °C (−14 °F), rain on about 15 daysHighs around 0 °F (-18 °C), lows around −14 °F (-25.6 °C), rain on about 15 days
- The North, Canada · Whitehorse, Yellowknife, Dawson City, Iqaluitcool
Midnight sun in June–July; northern lights and −30 °C (−22 °F) from about November to March.Midnight sun in June–July; northern lights and −22 °F (−30 °C) from about November to March.
Festivals and holidays
Dates as our data lists them. Moving holidays (lunar and Islamic calendars, Easter) shift every year: check the date for your year before you build a trip on it.
Christmas and Boxing Day big impact
25–26 Dec · Canada
Most businesses closed on the 25th; Boxing Day sales.
Crowds and prices
- Crowds · Canada overall
- Medium
- Prices · Canada overall
- High
Canada overall: Christmas markets and ski openings; winter tyres required on many BC highways.
High-price month: see what to book ahead.
Compare two months
Weather, crowds and prices for any two months in Yellowknife, side by side.
Verdict
Dec: Great
Jan: Great
Daytime high
Dec: -18 °C (0 °F)0 °F (-18 °C)
Jan: -21.6 °C (−7 °F)−7 °F (-21.6 °C)
Night low
Dec: -25.6 °C (−14 °F)−14 °F (-25.6 °C)
Jan: -29.4 °C (−21 °F)−21 °F (-29.4 °C)
Rain days
Dec: 15
Jan: 15
Crowds
Dec: Medium
Jan: Low
Prices
Dec: High
Jan: Low
Festivals listed
Dec: 1
Jan: 0
December: Inside Yellowknife's best window: Late Aug–mid-Apr for aurora; Jun–Aug for midnight sun, hiking and lake trips.
January: Inside Yellowknife's best window: Late Aug–mid-Apr for aurora; Jun–Aug for midnight sun, hiking and lake trips.
Yellowknife: figures are long-term averages from this guide, not a forecast.
What to pack
- A warm coat, hat and gloves for mornings and evenings
- A rain jacket or umbrella and shoes that dry fast
- Layers: a fleece or light jacket