The ice road connecting Yellowknife and Dettah closed on Tuesday evening, just hours after the NWT government said it was on 48-hour watch to shut for the season.
Tuesday’s warmth – the city reached 7C – was enough to turn portions of the ramp at the Yellowknife end of the road into mush accompanied by giant puddles of meltwater.
The road was declared “closed until further notice” by the territory’s Department of Infrastructure just before 6pm.
The ice road opened on December 21, which was its earliest opening date since 2014.
Closure this week comes sooner than the 20-year average of April 16 but broadly in line with other recent years.
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Last year’s closure date was April 9, while the road closed on April 10 in 2023.
Yellowknife and Dettah are also connected by an all-season road that wraps around the top end of Yellowknife Bay. The ice road cuts out about 20 minutes of driving time while operational.
Meanwhile, the Tłı̨chǫ Government said on Tuesday that the winter roads to Gamètì̀ and Wekweètì̀ will close at 10am on Thursday.
Travel in the meantime is restricted to high-clearance 4×4 vehicles overnight between 10pm and 10am.
