SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Yellowknife's summer has been cooler than normal and the weather is not predicted to improve, according to Environment Canada's senior climatologist David Phillips.

"May was just brutal, and June hasn't been much better," he said.

Window cleaner Ryan McCord braves Tuesday's rainy weather. He says the cooler temperatures this spring are similar to those four years ago. - Charlotte Hilling/NNSL photo

Despite predicting more of the same cooler temperatures for the rest of summer, Phillips said the computer forecasts were not totally convincing, and it could go either way.

"The good news is I don't have a lot of confidence in the forecast," he said. "There was no clear majority. We just had to flip a coin and make a call."

He said even though temperatures have been, and are predicted to remain, below normal, this may only be by one or two degrees.

"With ample sunshine and dry conditions, people can still enjoy life," he said. "Don't give up hope on the summer, our models can be wrong."

Not only has the weather been cooler, it has also been drier, with less than half the normal rainfall in May and June. Phillips advises people to make the most of the summer they get.

"If you look out your window and see it's a nice day, book a day off work, because tomorrow might not be so good," he said.

Alternatively, Phillips is predicting a milder than normal winter, thanks to a likely El Nino weather phenomenon.

Tiffany Ayalik, an instructor for Narwal Paddling Adventures, said the company's rental numbers are down so far this year because the ice in and around Yellowknife took an extra two weeks to thaw.

She said the water temperatures are currently around 15