The NWT’s Department of Infrastructure says it expects the ice road connecting Dettah and Yellowknife to close for the season on Friday.
In a brief Wednesday announcement posted to Meta’s channels, the department said the ice road may close earlier “as conditions continue to deteriorate.”
If it closes on Friday, the ice road will have operated from December 22, 2025 to April 24, 2026 – an epic season by recent standards.
The five-year average opening date for the ice road is January 2 – which it beat by 11 days – and the five-year average closing date is April 13, which the road is on course to outstrip by about a week and a half.
The Yellowknife region endured a particularly cold winter. Daytime highs have only just reached the point of cresting above 0C.
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By comparison, the 2024 Dettah ice road only lasted from January 29 until April 9.
