Mike W. Bryant
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (May 26/04) - Needless to say, it's been a grumpy sort of month.

The average mean temperature for May in Yellowknife over the last 10 years has hovered around 5 C. This year, the temperature has rarely been above freezing. The average for this May will likely ring in at five degrees --but on the wrong side of the thermometer.

Fred Henne Park is usually packed over the Victoria Day weekend, but staff are still waiting for the snow to melt on some campsites.

"A year ago today I was hard at it," Vince Dixon, park manager, said Monday.

"I'm still on stand-down," said Dixon, who hopes to open before this weekend.

At Air Tindi, Teri Arychuk said this year is the latest ever they've been able to operate on skis.

Previously, May 16 was the latest the company has flown Twin Otters off the ice on Yellowknife Bay.

Air Tindi was still still flying over the weekend Victoria Day weekend. The extended season has been a Catch-22. They have been able to fly to Northern mining camps, but are falling behind schedule on summer floatplane traffic.

Tourists want to go canoeing

"We got tourists coming up in two weeks to go canoeing," said Arychuk.

"For those of us who live here, we could use some more warmth."

Over at Arctic Farmer Landscaping, Darwin Rudkevitch said that a shipment of flowers scheduled for the weekend was put on hold until warmer weather arrives.

Rudkevitch is an optimist. He figures T-shirt weather will be here quicker than we've learned not to expect this year.

"It's been a tough one," Rudkevitch agreed. "But I think after the new moon on June 3rd it's going to be hot and scorching."