Whitehorse saw warmest November in 40 years
Unusually mild conditions about to end, Environment Canada says
No, you weren't imagining it — this past November was an unusually mild one in Whitehorse. Environment Canada says it was the warmest one in four decades.
"It's been quite a while," said meteorologist Matt Macdonald. "Definitely an exceptional experience."
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The average temperature last month in Whitehorse was –4.4 C, a full five degrees warmer than normal (the historic average temperature for Whitehorse in November is –9.4 C).
It was the fifth-warmest November on record, and the warmest since the record was set in November 1976, when the monthly average temperature was –0.7 C.
Macdonald says early November was particularly mild this year in Yukon, owing to a "strong southerly flow" that brought warmer temperatures to much of northwestern Canada. He says Yukon saw several record-breaking daytime temperatures.
But fear not — more winter-y weather is on the way.
"We're back into an Arctic air mass, and those conditions only get colder here in the coming week," Macdonald said. "You might want to get your block heaters turned up, and you know, get out those cold layers."
The forecast is calling for a cold snap through next week, with temperatures around –20 C to –30 C.
With files from Vic Istchenko