November brings record-breaking temperatures from Nunavut to Siberia

A white-throated sparrow feeds on birdseed Nov. 30 in Rankin Inlet, when the temperature stood at about minus 3 C. (PHOTO BY PUTULIK PHOTOGRAPHY)

This map by Patrick Duplessis, a PhD student in Physics and Atmospheric Science at Dalhousie University, shows some of the hot spots across the North during November. (IMAGE BY P.DUPLESSIS/TWITTER)

In many Nunavut communities, chances are you traded your parka for a jacket during the month of November.

During November, monthly average temperatures in Nunavut’s central Kivalliq region ranged from 4.1 C higher in Naujaat to 8.2 C higher in Arviat—and sparrows, usually long-gone from Rankin Inlet, were still around.

People in that community of roughly 3,000, who saw rotating power outages this week after its diesel turbines needed major repairs, fortunately enjoyed those milder-than-usual higher temperatures. These were as mild as about minus 3 C—much higher than the normal high temperatures of minus 18 C for this time of the year.

And, in Arviat, the puddles reminded residents of spring, not of the usually cold, dark month leading into winter.

On Nov. 30, it was just a little below freezing in Arviat—minus 1.5 C. That high temperature beat the previous record high for that day of minus 4.6 C set in 1986. The day’s low of minus 2.6 C was also much higher than the record low of minus 33 C set in 1991.

On Nov. 30, the western Nunavut Kitikmeot community of Gjoa Haven, where the temperatures averaged 6.5 C higher in November, you could also say it was really warm: The minus 3.4 C temperature on Nov. 30 beat the record of minus 9.5 C set in 1987, and Gjoa Haven’s daily low of minus 9.3 C was much higher than 1991’s record-breaking low of minus 37.5 C for Nov. 30.

Nov. 30 also broke record highs:

• Baker Lake—minus 2.9 C

• Naujaat—minus 4 C

• Taloyoak—minus 4.2 C

• Kugaaruk—minus 3.2 C

• Igloolik—minus 8.7 C

• Arctic Bay—minus 9.1 C

• Resolute Bay—minus 8.9 C

• Eureka—minus 11.9 C

The warmth also circled the Arctic Ocean, which, around the pole, was itself up to 20 C warmer than usual during much of November.

In Greenland, the famed Sirius dog team patrol hasn’t started to carry out its long-range reconnaissance patrolling yet because it’s too warm.

And the Russian Arctic and Norwegian Arctic have never been so warm in November reports the Independent Barents Observer— at least according to existing records.

On Norway’s Svalbard Islands, temperatures averaged 10.7 C higher than normal, while weather measurements across the top of Siberia showed temperatures up to 14 C higher than normal.

Temperatures weren’t the only unusual measurements in the Arctic which were off during November.

Both Arctic and Antarctic daily sea ice extents remain the lowest on record in the satellite era—a period of about 35 years.

In November, European Space Agency’s CryoSat satellite measurements show the Arctic sea ice matching record lows from 2011 and 2012.

And Arctic ice growth, say climate watchers, is slower and lower this year. Even though Arctic sea ice extent growth increased over this past week, it’s still at a record low for date.

In Hudson Bay, ice formation stands at about 40 per cent below normal, according to the Canadian Ice Service.