Climate
[edit]
Inukjuak has a subarctic climate (Köppen: Dfc), with a July average of 11.7 °C (53.1 °F) and February average of −25.4 °C (−13.7 °F). The climate is influenced by the freezing of the shallow Hudson Bay combined with extremely moderated summers with very pronounced seasonal lag as the bay thaws. As a result, Inukjuak gets an extremely cold climate for the latitude, especially considering its maritime position. On similar latitudes in Scandinavia in northern Europe, or the northernmost tip of mainland Scotland the summers are close to 3 °C (5.4 °F) warmer and winters are around the freezing point – demonstrating the extreme chilliness of the climate.
For example, Stockholm is 13.6 °C (24.5 °F) warmer annually, in spite of being a full degree farther north. Maritime climates in northern Scotland such as Thurso even make the mark of being 15 °C (27 °F) milder annually on the same latitude. Even compared to geographically analogous locations in the Russian Far East, Inukjuak has an annual mean 0.5 °C (0.90 °F) colder than Aldan and 3.3 °C (5.9 °F) colder than Magadan, whilst receiving about an hour less sunshine each day than those two localities. Due to the cold summers, Inukjuak is above the tree line despite lying more than 3,500 km (2,200 mi) from the pole. Inukjuak also is significantly colder than locations located substantially further north with warm-summer subarctic climates, being 1.7 °C (3.1 °F) colder than Yellowknife, 3.6 °C (6.5 °F) colder than Fairbanks, and 5.9 °C (10.6 °F) colder than Whitehorse.
Temperatures in Inukjuak are below freezing from mid-October to late May – the pronounced seasonal lag means May averages colder than October, April colder than November, and March colder than December. Only during a freakish warm wave on 5 December 1923 has Inukjuak recorded a temperature above 10 °C (50 °F) between November and April, while January has only topped freezing in 1940. During the early winter snowfall is very heavy, averaging 50 cm (20 in) in November but tapering off somewhat as the freezing of Hudson Bay completes and reduces the availability of moisture. The most monthly snowfall has been 155 cm (61 in) in November 1933 and the most in one day 43 cm (17 in) on 11 November 1934, whilst the highest depth of snow on the ground has been 179 cm (70 in) on 14 April 1955.
Snow usually melts when temperatures rise above freezing late in May, with typically only 7 cm (2.8 in) remaining on the ground at the beginning of June. Summer weather in Inukjuak, due to the cool Hudson Bay and prevailing cyclonic weather, is generally damp and unsettled, with rainfall especially frequent in August and September as the bay thaws completely: these months expect rain on more than half the days. Occasional spells of hot weather occur when the wind drives air from the hotter continent onto the coast: the record high temperature is 30 °C (86 °F) on 8 June 1955. By the end of September temperatures are already falling to near freezing and October sees the beginning of the long winter and a return to heavy snow driven by the western side of the Icelandic Low.
Climate data for Inukjuak (Inukjuak Upper Air)WMO ID: 71907; coordinates 58°28′N 78°05′W / 58.467°N 78.083°W / 58.467; -78.083 (Inukjuak Upper Air); elevation: 24.4 m (80 ft); 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1921–present
Month
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Year
Record high humidex
1.6
2.4
4.4
8.4
26.5
32.4
34.0
28.9
30.0
17.5
7.2
2.6
34.0
Record high °C (°F)
1.9(35.4)
5.0(41.0)
4.8(40.6)
9.6(49.3)
26.8(80.2)
30.0(86.0)
30.0(86.0)
27.6(81.7)
27.1(80.8)
16.7(62.1)
8.3(46.9)
16.1(61.0)
30.0(86.0)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)
−19.9(−3.8)
−21.1(−6.0)
−15.4(4.3)
−6.6(20.1)
1.8(35.2)
10.3(50.5)
15.9(60.6)
14.3(57.7)
8.8(47.8)
3.0(37.4)
−3.2(26.2)
−11.6(11.1)
−2.0(28.4)
Daily mean °C (°F)
−23.5(−10.3)
−25.4(−13.7)
−19.8(−3.6)
−10.9(12.4)
−1.5(29.3)
5.8(42.4)
11.4(52.5)
10.7(51.3)
6.1(43.0)
0.7(33.3)
−6.4(20.5)
−15.3(4.5)
−5.7(21.7)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)
−27.2(−17.0)
−29.5(−21.1)
−24.6(−12.3)
−15.3(4.5)
−4.8(23.4)
1.3(34.3)
6.9(44.4)
7.1(44.8)
3.4(38.1)
−1.7(28.9)
−9.6(14.7)
−18.9(−2.0)
−9.4(15.1)
Record low °C (°F)
−46.1(−51.0)
−49.4(−56.9)
−45.0(−49.0)
−35.2(−31.4)
−25.6(−14.1)
−9.4(15.1)
−6.7(19.9)
−2.8(27.0)
−11.1(12.0)
−22.8(−9.0)
−33.9(−29.0)
−43.3(−45.9)
−49.4(−56.9)
Record low wind chill
−60.3
−57.7
−54.8
−45.6
−36.3
−15.5
−6.6
0.0
−11.7
−30.7
−46.9
−55.4
−60.3
Average precipitation mm (inches)
14.4(0.57)
11.6(0.46)
15.5(0.61)
22.6(0.89)
27.0(1.06)
38.2(1.50)
60.1(2.37)
61.1(2.41)
70.1(2.76)
58.6(2.31)
50.6(1.99)
30.3(1.19)
459.9(18.11)
Average rainfall mm (inches)
0.0(0.0)
0.1(0.00)
0.1(0.00)
3.6(0.14)
12.6(0.50)
33.6(1.32)
59.5(2.34)
61.1(2.41)
62.2(2.45)
28.2(1.11)
3.2(0.13)
0.4(0.02)
264.6(10.42)
Average snowfall cm (inches)
15.0(5.9)
12.0(4.7)
16.1(6.3)
19.4(7.6)
14.6(5.7)
4.4(1.7)
1.0(0.4)
0.0(0.0)
7.5(3.0)
32.6(12.8)
50.0(19.7)
32.0(12.6)
204.5(80.5)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm)
10.7
9.1
9.1
10.0
11.3
10.7
12.8
15.1
18.9
20.4
20.6
15.1
163.8
Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm)
0.09
0.04
0.09
1.2
4.5
8.5
12.8
15.1
16.2
8.6
1.2
0.13
68.5
Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm)
10.8
9.2
9.3
9.9
8.4
3.6
0.26
0.13
5.0
15.6
20.3
15.3
107.8
Average relative humidity (%) (at 1500 LST)
75.4
75.0
77.8
80.9
78.4
67.0
65.0
72.9
78.3
81.9
85.6
82.7
76.7
Mean monthly sunshine hours
63.5
122.5
182.5
183.2
159.4
209.4
226.0
171.7
97.9
50.4
31.8
35.2
1,533.5
Percentage possible sunshine
28.6
46.7
49.9
42.5
30.6
38.4
41.6
36.0
25.4
15.8
13.4
17.5
32.2
Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada (rain/rain days, snow/snow days, precipitation/precipitation days and sun 1971–2000)
