Final Yukon Weather Update

Forecast for Whitehorse, Yukon:

Friday...Increasing cloudiness. Highs in the low 40's*. Southerly winds 10-20 mph.

Friday night...Cloudy with a chance of rain showers. Lows in the upper 30's. Southerly winds 10-20 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Saturday...Cloudy with rain* showers likely. High temperatures in the upper 40's*. South winds 15-20 mph, with localized areas of winds over 45 mph. Chance of rain 60 percent.

Saturday night...Rain likely. Lows around 40. South winds 15-25 mph, with localized areas of winds over 45 mph. Chance of rain 60 percent.

Sunday...Occasional rain showers, mixing with snow late. Highs in the mid *40's, with temperatures decreasing into the mid 30's. Chance of precipitation 50 percent.

Sunday night and Monday...Mostly cloudy with a mix of rain and snow showers. Temperatures decreasing into the 20's. Precipitation chances increasing late morning.

Records that may be broken:
Friday: Record high is 41.
Saturday: Precipitation has never fallen in the form of rain in Whitehorse on this day.
Saturday: Record high is 48.
Saturday: Average high is 7F. This makes the LOW temperature ~33F above average HIGH
Sunday: Record high is 43.

Discussion:
Continued model trends of warmer temperatures and a delayed return of cold air. Chances that precip will be rain and not snow are fairly high through Saturday. Sunday's temperatures are now marginally cold enough for snow, and precipitation type still rather uncertain. Downslope winds (winds forced from strong winds flowing over mountain ranges) are another concern, with the greatest chances for this on Saturday and early Sunday. Although these winds occur in very localized areas, they can be quite intense. Latest forecast model runs show a strong low pressure approaching the area by midday Monday. This shouldn't be an issue since you leave early in the morning, however something to keep mindful of, especially since forecast models just now started to forecast this.