Hay River
Elevation 165 m60.83° N, 115.78° W
When to go?
Mean −22 °C, 5 rain days in the month (20 mm).
Good for
- Ideal for the auroraNights of 18 hours and the sky 73 % covered on average: clearer than the average of aurora places.
Against
- Extreme coldlows of −27 °C
- Dark6.5 hours of daylight
Mean −20 °C, 3 rain days in the month (13 mm).
Good for
- Ideal for the auroraNights of 15 hours and the sky 67 % covered on average: clearer than the average of aurora places.
Against
- Extreme coldlows of −26 °C
Mean −14 °C, 4 rain days in the month (16 mm).
Good for
- Ideal for the auroraNights of 12 hours and the sky 63 % covered on average: clearer than the average of aurora places.
Against
- Extreme coldlows of −20 °C
Mean −2 °C, 4 rain days in the month (16 mm).
Against
- Freezinglows of −8 °C
Mean 7 °C, 4 rain days in the month (23 mm).
Nothing against it.
Mean 14 °C, 6 rain days in the month (32 mm).
Nothing against it.
Mean 18 °C, 9 rain days in the month (58 mm).
Good for
- Ideal to visitTemperature and rain in the ideal range.
Mean 15 °C, 10 rain days in the month (62 mm).
Good for
- Ideal to visitTemperature and rain in the ideal range.
Mean 9 °C, 8 rain days in the month (41 mm).
Nothing against it.
Mean 0 °C, 7 rain days in the month (32 mm).
Good for
- Ideal for the auroraNights of 14 hours and the sky 72 % covered on average: clearer than the average of aurora places.
Against
- Freezinglows of −3 °C
Mean −11 °C, 7 rain days in the month (26 mm).
Against
- Freezinglows of −14 °C
Mean −19 °C, 5 rain days in the month (20 mm).
Good for
- Ideal for the auroraNights of 18 hours and the sky 75 % covered on average: clearer than the average of aurora places.
Against
- Extreme coldlows of −23 °C
- Dark5.7 hours of daylight
The best months are July–August. Ideal for the aurora: October, December–March (long nights, often clear sky). Avoid April (freezing), November (freezing).
What is the climate like?
Temperature and rain
Monthly min and max temperature (°C)
Monthly min and max temperature (°C)
How much it rains
Rain days and how much water
Rain days and how much water
Bars: length = rain days, thickness = mm on a rain day, area = the month's rain. 3 mm a day7 mm a day15 mm a day
Colour = the month's rain: 103060100160250400mm
Daylight hours
Daylight and sky: sunrise, sunset and cloud cover
daylight under a clear sky (average share)daylight under cloud
daylight under a clear sky (average share)daylight under cloud
Times on the 15th of each month, in local time: daylight saving where and when it applies, standard time in the other months.
Snow on the ground
Mean snow depth on the ground (cm)
Mean snow depth on the ground (cm)
Effect of climate change
Today's climate (1996–2025) compared with 1961–1990:
In short
Year by year
Temperature of each year
Against 1961–1990 the mean temperature of today (1996–2025) has changed by +1.3 °C; in the last ten years by +1.7 °C. Warmest year: 2023 (+4.6 °C), coldest: 1961 (−2.5 °C).
January and February warmed the most (+3.6 and +2.5 °C), October the least (+0.1 °C). The warm season (above the annual mean of then, −3 °C) begins 1 day earlier and ends 1 day later.
Warming stripes: after an idea by Ed Hawkins (University of Reading), showyourstripes.info, CC BY 4.0.
Rain of each year (% against 1961–1990)
more rain than in 1961–1990less rain
Rain in a year: no clear trend, dry and wet years alternate as before.
Snow, then and now
≈no clear change of winter snow compared with 1961–1990