Chris Puglia
Northern News Services

Kivalliq (Sep 01/03) - Summer weather gave Kivalliq residents a taste of everything this year.

In June many were left wondering if summer would ever arrive.

The beginning of summer was marked by snow, sleet and cold temperatures.

According to the Arctic Weather Centre it was the fourth-snowiest June in the past 23 years.

"Twenty-one-and-a-half times the normal amounts of snow must have made it seem like winter was determined to stay," said meteorologist Yvonne Bilan-Wallace.

Although the snow persisted across the region temperatures weren't much colder than average.

It was only the 10th coldest June in 23 years of recording.

The winds of change quickly blew through the Kivalliq in July, bringing above average temperatures.

The seventh-warmest summer on record meant record breaking heat for many communities.

"Baker Lake set a record of 31.5 C on (July) 28th. The all-time warmest temperature in Nunavut was at Baker Lake at 33.6 C on July 18, 1989," said Bilan-Wallace.

The month of August started out with cooler temperatures.

Nearer the middle of the month the weather once again started to heat up.

Two record breaking days of 24.2 C on Aug. 13 and 24.7 C on Aug. 16 occurred in Rankin Inlet.

"Overall it doesn't look like an exceptionally warm August," said Bilan-Wallace.

Temperatures in the region ranged from overnight lows of only 4.4 C and highs during the day of 24.7 C.

For now the weather centre is predicting that the risk of snow in late August and early September seems remote.

"Models over the next 30 days are predicting temperatures in the Kivalliq to remain above normal," said Bilan-Wallace.