Freezing rain and black ice have prompted highway closures across the territory overnight and this morning.

As of an 11:30 a.m. Yukon 511 update, sections of the Alaska Highway in southern Yukon, the Klondike Highway north of Whitehorse to Stewart Crossing, and the Robert Campbell Highway near Watson Lake and between Faro and Carmacks were closed.

The entirety of the Haines Road, the Canol Road, and the Stewart-Cassiar Highway were also listed as impassable and closed.

“The unusual weather conditions on our Yukon highways are creating some challenges, for highway maintenance crews and motorists,” Brittanee Stewart, a Department of Highways and Public Works spokesperson, told the Star this morning.

She cited freezing rain and black ice as contributing factors in the road shutdowns.

“We close a highway when it’s determined to be unsafe to drive, and the decisions to close the roads are not taken lightly,” she said.

Matt MacDonald is a meteorologist with Environment Canada. He told the Star this morning that the territory’s record-breaking mild temperatures are having “big impacts” on road conditions.

Last night, light, wet snow outside of Whitehorse, where it’s slightly colder, would have frozen on contact with the road surfaces, he said.

The result is what MacDonald calls the worst of all precipitation types: freezing rain.

“It just creates an instantaneous, super-slick surface. I think anyone would take snow over freezing rain any day,” he said. “A millimetre is sufficient to create horrendous road conditions.

“Very few vehicles will be able to drive safely on that type of road surface.”

The good news is that temperatures are rising today – Whitehorse will see a high of 5 C, he said – and a lot of the ice on the roads will melt.

“Today’s sun and heat will help, and I’m sure the road maintenance crews will be all over it, trying to sand and salt.”

But once the temperature drops below zero tonight, MacDonald said, the melting on the roads will likely turn into black ice.

“I think these slick road conditions will be with you guys for a few days here,” he said, advising Yukon motorists to “take it easy.”

Stewart said Highways and Public Works could not provide an estimate as to when roads might reopen.

The department suggests everyone check Yukon 511 for the most up-to-date road conditions.

This information is available at www.511yukon.ca/en/