Highlights of History from The Whitehorse Star

Yukon weather

Dateline: December 23, 2025.

    Late January in 1906 was brutally cold in the Yukon, and the temperature records for Whitehorse still hold 120 years later. The official figures now are:

#1: -56.2°C/-69.16°F on Sunday, January 21, 1906

#2: -54.4°C/-65.92°F on Monday, January 22, 1906

Tied for #3: -52.8°C/-63.04°F on Tuesday, January 23, 1906

Tied for #3: -52.8°C/-63.04°F on Saturday, January 20, 1906

Tied for #11: -50.6°C/-59.08°F on Wednesday, January 24, 1906

January 19, 1906

    Frank Kubel frozen to death; Ed Webster frozen so that his legs will have to be amputated, and a third man frozen to death. This is the summary of a report of disasters in the Fortymile and on the upper Tanana brought to Dawson by Charles Wetzler, a White river pioneer, now a freighter on the Fortymile river, who is in Dawson for a short visit. Wetzler is at the Yukon hotel. He says:

    "Kubel was frozen at Nabasena, above Tanana Crossing. I do not know the particulars other than the man met his death from exposure to the cold in some way. Measrs. Sergeant and Wilds are bringing out the body. Kubel went into the Tanana country two years ago. He formerly was on Chicken creek and prior to that was in the Klondike. He was about 33 years old. His dog was frozen with him.

    "The name of the man frozen in the Fortymile country I did not learn. He is said to have been frozen on the North Fork of Wade, between Montana and Hutcheon creeks.

    "Ed Webster, whose legs will have to be amputated, was frozen on the North Forks of the Fortymile. Telegraph linemen brought the news to Chicken, and I learned the facts there. I presume the man will be taken to Eagle to be treated or that a doctor will be sent from Eagle to where the injured man is." - Dawson News.

    Never since thermometers were known in the Yukon did they register so low at Dawson as last night when 70 degrees below zero was marked. The previous official record at Dawson was made on the mornirg of January 15th, 1901, when the instrument at the barracks marked 68 and that kept by Commissioner Ogilvie at his residence in the other end of town and near the Sisters hospital, marked 68.5. Last night, therefore, was the coldest ever recorded in the north end of Yukon.

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Saturday, January 20, 1906

    For the first time in the history of its operations, extending over several years, the White Pass company this morning suspended its regular stage schedule owing to the unprecedentedly cold weather, telegrams having been sent out this morning by Supt. Pulham ordering the drivers to lay up until the weather moderates, which it is believed it will do within the next day or two.

    Driver Donnenwerth arrived this morning from Dawson, the entire trip having been made with the temperature at over 60 below, yet he came in without a frost nip on his fingers, cheeks or nose. The manner io which the drivers dress renders them practically immune from cold, but the horses are in need of protection. They become very warm in their bodies but the cold air inhaled forms ice in their nostrils which become irritated and bleed and in the earlier days it was not unusual for a horse to drop dead after being driven rapidly for a few miles io very cold weather.

    The order suspending the regular stage schedule for the present is a humane one at which even the most anxious traveler cannot grumble.

    Never before in Yukon's history has the temperature been so low as it was this morning, ranging as it did from 63 to 82 below all along from Whitehorse to Dawson. Owing to the severity of the weather the White Pass company has tied up its stage line for the first time in its history, as to drive horses in this kind of weather would prove fatal to them That was proven by the fact that the horses driven in from Tahkini, 22 miles, this morning, over four hours being required to make the trip ordinarily made in two and half, were bleeding at the noses on their arrival and, if they survive, will be of no account the remainder of the season. Thus far, no fatalities from the present cold snap have been reported, but it will not be surprising if there are several reported later.

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Monday, January 22, 1906

    Old Boreas who, in Greek mythology, is said to be the personification of the north wind, has shown ample demonstration of his power within the past few days and, by driving the temperature down to 73 degrees below zero at this place last night, forced the White Pass company to abandon all trains today and the result was that on that great international line not a wheel turned today - that is, of course, unless it was in the heads of some of the company's employes.

    On Saturday as the train from Skagway was coming this way a steel rail under it snapped like glass but fortunately no damage resulted. The officials, therefore, very wisely decided to not take any chances on wrecks and the probable loss of life and property by tying up the line until King Bory shall have released the grip he now has on this section of the country.

    The Whitehorse-Dawson stage line is still tied up until the weather moderates.

    Owing to the fact that redhot stoves failed to heat the public school building this morning, the board of trustees thought it best to give the children a holiday and if the cold continues they will have another tomorrow.

    The temperature at this place this morning was 73 degrees below zero, the coldest ever known in this part of the country. Yesterday morning it was 72 below by the thermometer at the barracks.

    So far no serions inconvenience has resulted from the cold, the only loss reported being about $60 or $75 worth of stuff which was frozen yesterday in R. Lowe & Co's, warm storage warehouse.

    At Skagway today it is 22 below and the wind blowing a hurricane.

    At Dawson it was 70 below this morning and that town is in the throes of a wood famine. The police have forbidden the use of horses until the weather becomes warmer and the result is that unoccupied cabins are being torn down and used as fuel.

    Dawson is fortunate in that she is long on unoccupied cabins but if many of them are torn down we shudder to think what that town will do when it attempts to collect taxes later in the year. To convert a house assessed at $500 into $25 worth of wood for fuel is indeed freuzied finance.

    In explaining to its chechaco friends the peculiarities of blue snow the Star neglected to state that it never falls except when the wind blows from the east; therefore, notwithstanding that the temperature for the past several days has been favorable to blue snow, the wind has not been right. We are sorry to not have explained this before as we learn that several of our chechaco friends have lost considerable sleep by staying up to look for blue snow.

    Numerous ice worms are reported in the neighborhood of the steamer Monarch about a mile below town. While they are not yet larger than vermicilli, they are growing rapidly and if the weather should remain for a month as it was last night, they will have rattles and a button.

    Should the cold weather continue one more week Burns & Co. may as well close up as everybody will be eating ice worms.

    They may be stewed with dumplings, fried, fricasseed, roasted or eaten raw with salt, pepper and vinegar.

    Ice worms have no scales until afer they obtain a length of four feet. They grow a head on each end.

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Tuesday, January 23, 1906

    While the White Pass stages are not making schedule time, they are still moving, covering two posts every day. The stage that left Dawson Saturday came through to Pelly on schedule time, that being the first place the order to slow up could be received. That stage made two posts yesterday, reaching Yukon Crossing last night. Major E. A. Snyder is one of the passengers aboard on his way from Dawson to this place. The major wired Officer Commanding Demers today to not send out any patrols until the weather moderates.

    The stage that was due here yesterday afternoon at 2 o'clock is expected to arrive late this evening. No stage will be dispatched from here until the weather changes for the better.

    Later - The stage expected this evening has arrived, bringing two passengers, Mrs. and Mrs. Rymer, wife and sister of Dr. Kymer of Dawson. The stage came only from Tahkini today. Billy Cameron was in the box.

    No trains were operated by the White Pass company today, travel, trade and commerce being stilled on account of the weather, which it is hoped and believed will have sufficiently reformed by tomorrow morning to permit of the regular schedule being resumed.

    The greatest hardship caused by the present suspension of traffic is that the many patrons of the Daily Star along the line and at Conrad, not being able to receive their paper, are out of touch with the world. Thus is there a vacuum in many homes,.

    There was no school yesterday or today but Principal Fisher requests the Star to state that the present weather indications justify the announcement that school will be held tomorrow as usual.

    School will "keep" tomorrow.
    There is no live local news today.
    There is talk of an ice worm festival.
    Waterman Ryder and his pale horse took a rest today.
    Fewer dogs are seen on the streets now than formerly.
    Those thermometers that come as prizes with chewing gum are all out of business.
    There has been no curling for two weeks other than curling up under blankets.
    He who hath several cords of wood in his back yard is greater than he who taketh a city.

    The steamer Jefferson enroute from Seattle to Skagway, arrived at Juneau last night covered with ice several inches thick. A cablegram to her captain instructed him to tie up there and await better weather. A terrific wind is blowing from the north at Skagway. The temperature is 18 below zero.

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Wednesday, January 24, 1906

    Always ready to oblige its patrons, the White Pass company aitempted to run a train from this place to Skagway today, more for the purpose of delivering three days', Saturday's, Monday's and Tuesday's, accumulation of the Daily Stars along the line to its many patrons than for any other purpose.

    The train started from here at 10:30 but had been gone less than five minutes before an order came from the train dispatcher at Skagway to abandon it for the day as the weather at that end of the route was too severe to send a rotary snowplow out to clear the track. But as the train had gone, it could not be intercepted until Cowley was reached, from which place it returned. However, the people of Cowley were made happy by the delivery of their Daily Stars but we shudder to think of the disappointment that wells up in the hearts of our many patrons at Caribou and Conrad who for four days have been deprived of the pleasure incident to the regular visits of this great family journal.

    It is probable that by tomorrow the severity of the storm will have sufficiently abated to permit of a special paper train being run as far as Caribou, and possibly the regular trains may be operated the full length of the line.

    The steamer Jefferson left Juneau 38 hours ago for Skagway and has not since been reported. It is possible, however, that she is lying in Berner's bay until the storm which is raging ou Lynn canal abates.

    Word from the Summit this afternoon is that a blinding snow storm is raging there, the wind is blowing a hurricane and the temperature is 32 below zero. Between the Summit and Glacier the snow is drifted on the railroad track 15 feet deep in many places.

    It was reported today that an Indian woman residing near the river in the north part of town had been badly frozen. No details were learned.

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Thursday, January 25, 1906

    A White Pass stage, the first to leave here since last Friday, got away at 2 o'clock this afternoon with four passengers and a lot of freight. Donnenwerth was driver. The passengers were Dr. and Mrs. Rymer, the latter's sister and Lou Piercy.

    A train having on board four issues of the Daily Star left for Caribou at noon today and its arrival would be hailed with delight by the residents of that town. The train would also carry any passengers and care for all business that might be presented along the route.

    As the storm is still raging at and south of the summit the train leaving here today will probably not attempt the through trip to Skagway but, after leaving the papers at Caribou, will probably return to this place this evening.

    The railroad company's big rotary snowplow, driven by three locomotives, is at work today clearing the track on both sides of the Summit and it is highly probable that by tomorrow the regular train schedule from both ends of the line will be resumed.

    After being unreported for nearly 60 hours, the steamer Jefferson arrived at Skagway with between 40 and 50 passengers at 12:30 o'clock today. During the recent heavy storm the Jefferson was "holing up" in a sheltered harbor on Lynn Canal.

    After experiencing weather 60 or 70 degrees below zero for a week or ten days, 40 below, as it was this morning, is hailed with pleasure, coat collars are turned down and a young man's fancy lightly turns to thouzhts of love.

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Friday, January 26, 1906

    The weather, not only here but all along the line from whence daily reports are obtained, is growing milder. At this place this morning it was only 18 below, over 50 degrees warmer than a few days ago.

    At the Summit and Log Cabin today the weather is so warm the snow is soft and is rapidly becoming slushy.

    At this place a fairly strong wind is blowing from the north, but compared with that of a few days ago, it is soft and balmy.

    A train left Skagway at 8:30 this morning, one hour abead of schedule time, for this place. It reached the Summit at 12 o'clock but had not been reported from Log Cabin, the next telegraphic station, at 2:30 this afternoon. The rotary snow plow was ahead of the train clearing the track.

    The train which left here yesterday got as far s Bennett last night and will probably get through tonight.

    The train coming this way will probably be here by 8 or 9 o'clock tonight. It is said to have quite a crowd of passengers.