Last updated: July 31, 2025
Under the Köppen–Geiger climate classification Watson Lake features a subarctic climate (Dfc). Temperatures typically range between -18 °C (-1 °F) and 16 °C (62 °F) through the year, but rarely can drop to -48 °C (-54 °F) or can rise to as high as 34 °C (94 °F). The average annual precipitation amounts to about 491 mm (19.3 inches) and receives 113 rainy days on the 1 mm (0.04 inches) threshold annually. Watson Lake enjoys an average of 2592 hours of sunshine throughout the year, and daylight varies from 5 hours 58 minutes to 18 hours 43 minutes per day.
The warmest months in Watson Lake are June, July and August, with daily mean temperatures ranging from 14 to 16 °C (58 - 62 °F) throughout the day. The coldest temperatures usually occur in January, February and December, when daily mean temperatures range from -18 to -17 °C (-1 - 2 °F) throughout the day. On average each year, Watson Lake experiences 14 days above 25 °C (77.0 °F) and 194 days below 0 °C (32.0 °F).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum | 3°C (37°F) | 7°C (45°F) | 14°C (58°F) | 17°C (62°F) | 28°C (83°F) | 34°C (94°F) | 32°C (90°F) | 33°C (92°F) | 28°C (82°F) | 18°C (65°F) | 5°C (41°F) | 4°C (39°F) |
| Mean maximum | 0°C (33°F) | 3°C (37°F) | 9°C (48°F) | 14°C (57°F) | 23°C (74°F) | 28°C (83°F) | 30°C (85°F) | 31°C (88°F) | 22°C (71°F) | 14°C (58°F) | 3°C (38°F) | -0°C (32°F) |
| Average high | -15°C (6°F) | -11°C (13°F) | -2°C (29°F) | 6°C (43°F) | 15°C (60°F) | 20°C (68°F) | 22°C (72°F) | 20°C (68°F) | 14°C (58°F) | 5°C (42°F) | -8°C (17°F) | -14°C (6°F) |
| Daily mean | -18°C (-1°F) | -17°C (2°F) | -8°C (17°F) | 0°C (32°F) | 9°C (49°F) | 14°C (58°F) | 16°C (62°F) | 14°C (58°F) | 9°C (48°F) | 1°C (34°F) | -12°C (11°F) | -17°C (1°F) |
| Average low | -22°C (-7°F) | -22°C (-7°F) | -14°C (7°F) | -6°C (22°F) | 3°C (37°F) | 9°C (48°F) | 11°C (52°F) | 10°C (49°F) | 4°C (39°F) | -2°C (28°F) | -15°C (4°F) | -21°C (-6°F) |
| Mean minimum | -43°C (-45°F) | -37°C (-35°F) | -29°C (-19°F) | -19°C (-1°F) | -3°C (26°F) | 4°C (39°F) | 7°C (45°F) | 4°C (40°F) | -2°C (28°F) | -11°C (12°F) | -27°C (-17°F) | -36°C (-32°F) |
| Minimum | -48°C (-54°F) | -43°C (-45°F) | -34°C (-29°F) | -25°C (-13°F) | -6°C (21°F) | 3°C (37°F) | 5°C (42°F) | 1°C (34°F) | -7°C (20°F) | -20°C (-4°F) | -32°C (-26°F) | -47°C (-52°F) |
Compare temperature, precipitation, sunshine, UV index in Watson Lake, Canada with other places around the world.
Watson Lake usually has the most precipitation in June, July and August, with an average of 13 rainy days and 68 mm (2.7 inches) of precipitation per month. The driest months in Watson Lake are January, February and April. On average, 23 mm (0.9 inches) of precipitation falls during these months.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 26 (1.0) | 24 (0.9) | 28 (1.1) | 20 (0.8) | 34 (1.4) | 72 (2.8) | 54 (2.1) | 78 (3.1) | 32 (1.3) | 40 (1.6) | 50 (2.0) | 31 (1.2) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1 mm) | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 15 | 11 | 13 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 8 |
The sunniest months in Watson Lake are May, June and July, when the sun shines an average of 11 hours 3 minutes a day. Least sunny months in Watson Lake: January, November and December receive an average of 2 hours 33 minutes of sunshine daily.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 62 | 148 | 227 | 292 | 340 | 323 | 353 | 267 | 235 | 169 | 87 | 84 |
| Mean daily daylight hours | 6h 48m | 9h 10m | 11h 53m | 14h 40m | 17h 14m | 18h 43m | 17h 52m | 15h 28m | 12h 45m | 10h 1m | 7h 26m | 5h 58m |
Watson Lake experiences the highest level of ultraviolet (UV) radiation in May, July and August, when the maximum UV index can reach values of 6 - 7, which corresponds to the High category of sun exposure. January, November and December are in the Low exposure category. In these months, the maximum values of the UV index do not exceed 1. For more detailed information, check out our hourly Watson Lake UV Index data.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV Index (month maximum) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 |