The South Klondike Highway re-opened late this morning, though the assessment of avalanche danger was ongoing.

The Stewart-Cassiar was still closed, on the other hand, and the Alaska Highway is back to two lanes of traffic at Muncho Lake.

Jennifer Magnuson of the Yukon's Department of Highways and Public Works said today crews were already tackling one avalanche that came down this morning on the South Klondike near the Yukon-B.C. border, along with two other areas where sloughing occurred last night.

The highway was closed at 5 p.m. Monday because of the risk of avalanches. It opened at 10:50 a.m. today.

Avalanche expert Hector Mckenzie of Whitehorse was attempting to get into the area by air this morning to assess the South Klondike corridor, she said.

Magnuson said she wouldn't know until later this afternoon the results of the assessment.

This morning's avalanche on the South Klondike occurred 1.4 kilometres on this side of the Yukon-B.C. border, at kilometre 81.4, measured from Skagway.

Crews were also attending to sloughs at km 81, and km 51. Log Cabin is located at kilometre 44.

The avalanche, Magnuson explained, was about the width of the highway, some 12 metres long but 1.3 metres in depth on the highway.

It took crews between 20 minutes and half an hour to clear the road, she said.

The Alaska Highway was restricted to one lane for a couple of hours Monday when a snowslide came down near Muncho Lake, Leanne Caskey of Transportation Canada said this morning.

"The road was not closed but it was restricted to one lane for a while while the crews went and got a loader to clear the area."

Spokesman Jeff Knight of the B.C. Ministry of Transportation said this morning the Stewart-Cassiar Highway - Highway 37 - was also closed today because of the avalanche hazards through two stretches.

A 70-kilometre section from the Dease River Bridge north of Dease Lake to Good Hope Lake was closed, he said.

Knight said also closed was a 48-kilometre stretch from Bob Quinn Lake south to the Bell 2 Bridge, located 93 kilometres on this side of Meziadin Junction.

"The reasons for the closures is the ministry needs to conduct some avalanche control to make it safe for motorists to go through," Knight said.

He said the stretch between the Dease River Bridge and Good Hope Lake is expected to be open later today, though the section further south isn't expected to be open until tomorrow.

Motorists, he said, can check the website www.drivebc.ca for updates on travel conditions.

Meanwhile, Whitehorse is above average for snowfall so far this winter beginning in October. Records show it is significantly above average in the last month and a half despite the frigid cold snap that the gripped the city and continues to grip areas further north.

Meteorologist Gabor Fricska of Environment Canada explained this morning the city has so far received 115.3 centimetres, or 19 cm more than normal to date.

Interestingly enough, he pointed out, the snowfall for December was 42.4 cm, or well above the average 26.4 cm for the month, even with the onset of the cold snap.

He said normally January sees about 23.7 centimetres for the entire month. As of Monday, not even halfway through, Whitehorse has received 33 centimetres, Fricska noted.

While bitter cold and snow aren't normally associated with one another, the meteorologist suspects the frigid temperatures may actually be responsible for the above-average snowfall.

Fricska said moisture-laden clouds coming off the ocean tend to dry out and drop their snow while crossing over the mountains from the warmer coastal weather to the cooler inland temperatures.

When it's cold right across the board, the mountains aren't as much of a trigger, and clouds don't shed their moisture content until further inland.

Fricska said he wouldn't be surprised if the coastal snowfall in areas like the Fraser border crossing was down slightly.

"That has happened in places on the south coast, and even at Prince Rupert on the north coast," he said. "That is why I am saying it may be happening up there."