Iqaluit warm in October

Iqaluit experienced its fifth warmest October in 57 years of record keeping.

Temperatures hovered above normal for all but six days this month and two new maximum temperature records were set on Oct. 13 and Oct. 18, with the mercury reaching 5.9 ° C and 4.7 ° C, 0.3 ° C and 0.2 ° C, respectively, higher than normal. The warmth was accompanied by moisture as 63.8 mm of precipitation fell that month, 21 mm more than the normal of 42.4 mm.

The normal amount of rain in October for Iqaluit is usually limited to 8.7 mm. This year 24.4 mm fell, nearly three times the average. Continuous snow on the ground wasn’t seen in the capital until Oct. 24. Since official weather observations started in 1955, continuous snow cover was only achieved at this late a date on four other occasions.

Rankin Inlet, with a monthly average of -4.8 ° C, was just 0.4 ° C warmer than normal. The month started with a seven-day cold spell, followed by 20 days of normal or above-normal temperatures. The month ended on a chilly note as overnight lows dropped to the -15 ° C to -19 ° C range in the last four days of the month.

The monthly amount of precipitation was near normal at 34.7 mm and continuous snow cover was achieved in Rankin Inlet on Oct. 13, also near the norm.