Sun times in Yellowknife on 3 November 2026
| Sunrise | 08:18 | rises toward ESE (123°) |
|---|---|---|
| Solar noon | 12:21 | sun 12.3° above the horizon |
| Sunset | 16:23 | sets toward WSW (237°) |
| Day length | 8 h 05 min | |
| Civil dawn | 07:28 | first usable light |
| Civil dusk | 17:14 | last usable light |
| Golden hour, morning | 08:18–09:37 | warm low light |
| Golden hour, evening | 15:04–16:23 | warm low light |
| Shadow at noon | 4.59 m | per metre of height |
Times are computed for 62.4541°, -114.3725° and refreshed every day. For any other date, an exact azimuth or a shadow drawn on the map, open the interactive sun position map for Yellowknife.
The sun’s path over Yellowknife
How high the sun stands and where, from sunrise to sunset: today, at both solstices and at the equinox. The higher a curve climbs, the higher the sun; where a curve meets the bottom line, the sun rises or sets at that compass bearing.
- Today, 3 November
- 21 June
- Equinox, March and September
- 21 December
The sun's altitude against its compass bearing over Yellowknife. On 21 June the sun rises at 27° (NNE), climbs to 51.0° at solar noon and sets at 333° (NNW). On 21 December the sun rises at 146° (SSE), climbs to 4.1° at solar noon and sets at 214° (SSW).
The sun through the year in Yellowknife
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | Noon altitude | Noon shadow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 09:46 | 15:49 | 6 h 03 min | 6.5° | 8.7 m |
| February | 08:24 | 17:20 | 8 h 56 min | 15.1° | 3.7 m |
| March | 07:54 | 19:40 | 11 h 45 min | 25.7° | 2.1 m |
| April | 06:12 | 21:05 | 14 h 53 min | 37.5° | 1.3 m |
| May | 04:39 | 22:31 | 17 h 52 min | 46.6° | 0.9 m |
| June | 03:40 | 23:36 | 19 h 56 min | 50.9° | 0.8 m |
| July | 04:15 | 23:10 | 18 h 55 min | 49.0° | 0.9 m |
| August | 05:40 | 21:42 | 16 h 03 min | 41.4° | 1.1 m |
| September | 07:03 | 20:00 | 12 h 57 min | 30.3° | 1.7 m |
| October | 08:24 | 18:22 | 9 h 58 min | 18.8° | 2.9 m |
| November | 08:53 | 15:50 | 6 h 57 min | 8.9° | 6.4 m |
| December | 10:02 | 15:04 | 5 h 02 min | 4.2° | 13.5 m |
At the June solstice the midday sun reaches 51.0° above the horizon in Yellowknife and the day lasts 20 h 00 min. At the December solstice the sun climbs only to 4.1° and the day shrinks to 4 h 57 min. That difference is what decides whether a garden, a window or a solar array sees the sun in winter. The noon shadow column gives the length of the shadow of anything one metre tall.
Yellowknife through 2026 at a glance
| Longest day | 21 June | 20 h 00 min, 03:40–23:39 |
|---|---|---|
| Shortest day | 21 December | 4 h 57 min, 10:07–15:04 |
| Earliest sunrise | 19 June | 03:39 |
| Latest sunrise | 25 December | 10:08 |
| Earliest sunset | 17 December | 15:03 |
| Latest sunset | 22 June | 23:39 |
| Highest midday sun | 21 June | 51.0° |
| Lowest midday sun | 21 December | 4.1° |
| Sunrise direction | through the year | 27° NNE (21 June) to 146° SSE (21 December) |
| Sunset direction | through the year | 214° SSW (21 December) to 333° NNW (20 June) |
- At solar noon the sun in Yellowknife always stands due south, so the south side of a building, a garden or a roof is the one that gets the sun.
- White nights: from 28 May to 13 July the sun sets but never sinks more than 6° below the horizon, so it stays light enough to read outdoors all night.
- From 14 April to 27 August the sky over Yellowknife never gets fully dark: the sun stays less than 18° below the horizon all night, so there is no true astronomical night.
- The earliest sunset is on 17 December, 4 days before the shortest day (21 December), and the latest sunrise on 25 December, 4 days after it. Solar noon drifts through the year, so the darkest afternoon and the darkest morning do not fall on the shortest day.
- The longest day in Yellowknife is 15 h 02 min longer than the shortest, and around the equinoxes the days grow or shrink by up to 6.1 minutes a day.
The winter solstice 2026: the moment, and the shortest and the longest day, city by city →
Planning around the sun in Yellowknife
Solar panels
At 62.5° N a fixed array facing due south collects the most over a year at a tilt of about 51°. Use the solar panel angle calculator with the coordinates 62.4541°, -114.3725° for the exact optimum, the seasonal optima and the loss from an east or west facing roof.
Buying a flat or a plot
At the December solstice the noon sun in Yellowknife sits 4.1° above the horizon, so every obstacle casts a shadow 13.9 times its own height at midday. Check what stands to the south before you commit: place the building on the map and read the shaded hours for 21 December.
Photography
Golden hour runs 08:18–09:37 in the morning and 15:04–16:23 in the evening today, and the sun sets toward WSW (237°). The golden hour calculator gives the same windows for any date, and the map’s alignment finder shows the days when the setting sun lines up with a street.
More on planning around the sun: which way a house, garden or balcony should face, how long golden hour lasts and why the earliest sunset comes before the shortest day.
Other cities
Near Yellowknife
- Sun position in EdmontonCanada
- Sun position in WhitehorseCanada
- Sun position in SaskatoonCanada
- Sun position in CalgaryCanada
On the same latitude
Yellowknife lies at 62.5° N. On the same parallel the longest and the shortest day last just as long and the noon sun climbs just as high, whatever the clocks say there:
- Sun position in TrondheimNorway • 63.4° N
- Sun position in AnchorageUnited States • 61.2° N
- Sun position in ReykjavikIceland • 64.1° N
Questions
Sun questions about Yellowknife
What time is sunrise and sunset in Yellowknife today?
On 3 November 2026 the sun rises at 08:18 and sets at 16:23 in Yellowknife (UTC-7), giving 8 h 05 min of daylight.
What time is solar noon in Yellowknife today?
Solar noon is at 12:21, when the sun stands due south, 12.3° above the horizon. It is the middle of the day by the sun and the moment shadows are shortest.
When is the longest day of the year in Yellowknife?
On 21 June, with 20 h 00 min between sunrise at 03:40 and sunset at 23:39.
When is the shortest day of the year in Yellowknife?
On 21 December, with 4 h 57 min between sunrise at 10:07 and sunset at 15:04.
How high does the sun get in Yellowknife?
At solar noon the sun reaches 51.0° on 21 June, its highest of the year, and only 4.1° on 21 December. Today it climbs to 12.3°.
In which direction does the sun rise and set in Yellowknife?
Due east and due west only around the equinoxes. Through the year sunrise swings between 27° (NNE) and 146° (SSE), and sunset between 214° (SSW) and 333° (NNW).
What is the best angle for solar panels in Yellowknife?
Facing due south (azimuth 180°) at a tilt of about 51° for the most energy over a year. A steeper tilt favours the winter months and a flatter one the summer.
Does it get dark in Yellowknife in summer?
Not fully. From 14 April to 27 August the sun stays less than 18° below the horizon all night, and from 28 May to 13 July less than 6°: the white nights.
When is the earliest sunset in Yellowknife?
On 17 December at 15:03, 4 days before the shortest day. The latest sunrise is on 25 December at 10:08, so the evenings start getting lighter before the mornings do.
When do the days start getting longer in Yellowknife?
Straight after the shortest day, 21 December, but slowly at first: by 31 December the day is only 11 minutes longer, by 31 January 2 h 28 min longer and by 28 February 5 h 15 min longer. The evenings start getting lighter a little earlier, after the earliest sunset on 17 December.
What time does it get dark in Yellowknife in December?
On 1 December the sun sets at 15:17 and the sky is dark by about 16:19, when civil twilight ends. On 31 December sunset is at 15:15 and darkness at about 16:22.