Snag is a former village in Yukon, Canada, located on a small, dry-weather sideroad off the Alaska Highway, 25 km (16 mi) east of Beaver Creek. The village of Snag is located in a bowl-shaped valley of the White River and its tributaries, including Snag Creek. It was first settled during the Klondike Gold Rush. A village of Indigenous peoples was also located approximately 8 km (5.0 mi) away. It was the site of a military airfield, established as part of the Northwest Staging Route, which closed in 1968. In 1947, the village of Snag boasted a population of eight to ten First Nations people and fur traders. An additional staff of fifteen to twenty airport personnel — meteorologists, radio operators, aircraft maintenance men — lived at the airport barracks.
Climate
Snag has a subarctic climate (Köppen climate classification Dwc / Dfc) with mild summers and severely cold and long winters.
On February 2, 1947, Snag recorded a temperature of −62.2 °C (−80.0 °F), beating the continental North American record-low temperature that until then, belonged to Fort Good Hope, Northwest Territories, when it reached −61.7 °C (−79.1 °F) on December 31, 1910. The next day, on February 3, 1947, the record was beaten again in Snag; −63.0 °C (−81.4 °F).[3]
That same winter, two previous records had already been surpassed: including the February 2 record, and one on December 15, 1946, noted various phenomena, particularly sound such as voices being heard clearly miles from their source.[citation needed] There was a clear sky (except for some ice fog), and little to no wind. There were 38.1 cm (15.00 in) of snow on the ground, but the level had been in decline. Another town 180 km (110 mi) northeast of Snag, Fort Selkirk, claimed an even lower temperature of −65.0 °C (−85.0 °F), but the claim could not be confirmed.[4]
| Climate data for Snag (Snag Airport) Coordinates 62°22′N 140°24′W / 62.367°N 140.400°W; elevation: 587 m (1,926 ft); 1951−1980 normals | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 7.8 (46.0) |
7.2 (45.0) |
13.3 (55.9) |
22.2 (72.0) |
30.0 (86.0) |
31.7 (89.1) |
31.7 (89.1) |
30.6 (87.1) |
27.2 (81.0) |
18.3 (64.9) |
7.2 (45.0) |
4.4 (39.9) |
31.7 (89.1) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −25.1 (−13.2) |
−14.8 (5.4) |
−4.6 (23.7) |
5.5 (41.9) |
13.5 (56.3) |
19.3 (66.7) |
20.9 (69.6) |
18.8 (65.8) |
11.9 (53.4) |
−0.6 (30.9) |
−14.2 (6.4) |
−23.1 (−9.6) |
6.0 (42.8) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −30.4 (−22.7) |
−22.0 (−7.6) |
−14.1 (6.6) |
−2.2 (28.0) |
6.4 (43.5) |
12.0 (53.6) |
14.0 (57.2) |
11.5 (52.7) |
5.2 (41.4) |
−6.1 (21.0) |
−19.3 (−2.7) |
−28.2 (−18.8) |
−6.1 (21.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −35.6 (−32.1) |
−29.3 (−20.7) |
−23.6 (−10.5) |
−9.9 (14.2) |
−0.7 (30.7) |
4.8 (40.6) |
7.0 (44.6) |
4.2 (39.6) |
−1.7 (28.9) |
−11.6 (11.1) |
−24.4 (−11.9) |
−33.1 (−27.6) |
−12.8 (9.0) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −61.1 (−78.0) |
−63.0 (−81.4) |
−51.1 (−60.0) |
−46.1 (−51.0) |
−16.1 (3.0) |
−5.0 (23.0) |
−1.7 (28.9) |
−10.6 (12.9) |
−18.9 (−2.0) |
−33.3 (−27.9) |
−52.8 (−63.0) |
−56.1 (−69.0) |
−63.0 (−81.4) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 17.2 (0.68) |
16.0 (0.63) |
12.4 (0.49) |
17.9 (0.70) |
28.9 (1.14) |
58.3 (2.30) |
61.1 (2.41) |
39.0 (1.54) |
29.0 (1.14) |
21.0 (0.83) |
18.8 (0.74) |
18.9 (0.74) |
338.5 (13.33) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 0.1 (0.00) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.1 (0.00) |
4.8 (0.19) |
23.2 (0.91) |
57.7 (2.27) |
61.1 (2.41) |
38.4 (1.51) |
22 (0.9) |
1.8 (0.07) |
0.5 (0.02) |
0.0 (0.0) |
209.7 (8.26) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 23.4 (9.2) |
17.1 (6.7) |
15.3 (6.0) |
12.2 (4.8) |
7.3 (2.9) |
1.1 (0.4) |
0.0 (0.0) |
3.6 (1.4) |
6.2 (2.4) |
21 (8.3) |
23.8 (9.4) |
23.7 (9.3) |
154.7 (60.9) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 9 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 9 | 13 | 16 | 13 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 122 |
| Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 14 | 16 | 12 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 59 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) | 10 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 70 |
| Average relative humidity (%) (at 1300 LST) | 84 | 80 | 68 | 54 | 45 | 47 | 55 | 57 | 62 | 78 | 84 | 84 | 67 |
| Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada (temperatures)[5] (precipitation)[6] (humidity}[7] (February minimum)[3] | |||||||||||||
Disappearance of aircraft
On January 26, 1950, a Douglas C-54 Skymaster (tail number 42-72469) of the United States Air Force, with thirty-four service personnel, two civilians and a crew of eight, disappeared on a flight from Alaska to Montana. It was in the vicinity of Snag when last contact was made by radio at 17:09.[8] No wreckage or remains have ever been located.[9]
References
- ^ "Snag". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada.
- ^ "Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population Search results". March 8, 2023. Retrieved February 26, 2025.
- ^ a b "Records of Weather and Climate Extremes" (PDF). World Meteorological Organization. p. 3. Retrieved February 26, 2025.
- ^ Heidorn, Keith C. "Weather Almanac for February 2002". The Weather Doctor. Archived from the original on February 26, 2025. Retrieved February 26, 2025.
- ^ "Canadian Climate Normals 1951–1980 Volume 2: Temperature" (PDF). Environment and Climate Change Canada. 1982. pp. 7, 43, 79, 160, 241. Retrieved February 26, 2025.
- ^ "Canadian Climate Normals 1951–1980 Volume 3: Precipitation" (PDF). Environment and Climate Change Canada. 1982. pp. 9, 53, 97, 185, 229, 273. Retrieved February 26, 2025.
- ^ "Canadian Climate Normals 1951–1980 Volume 8: Atmospheric Pressure, Temperature, And Humidity" (PDF). Environment and Climate Change Canada. 1982. p. 55. Retrieved February 26, 2025.
- ^ Kennebec, Matt (2010). "Douglas DC-4 C-54D". Archived from the original on September 26, 2011. Retrieved June 19, 2011.
- ^ "Douglas C-54D-1-DC 42-72469 Snag, YT". Aviation Safety Network. Flight Safety Foundation. Retrieved February 26, 2025.
