by Jeff Colbourne
Northern News Services

NNSL (Jan 20/97) - High winds and blowing snow have hammered much of the North over the past two weeks.

Paulatuk residents, for instance, spend most of last week cleaning up after being windswept the previous weekend. Gusts of up to 150 kilometres per hour caused blowing snow and extreme wind chills.

And last week, Keewatin communities came to a halt as a blizzard howled through Wednesday, kicking up snow and immobilizing every school, office and business.

"It's a complete calm right now, which means something's coming," Ken Thompson, Paulatuk's senior administrative officer, said last week.

The weather was calm and clear last week in Paulatuk with winds merely gusting up to 80 km/h.

At the same time, Keewatin residents felt similar winds, but with two additions: snow and blowing snow.

"I could sense this one was coming," said Joe Karetak, an Arviat resident, enjoying the day off work.

To prepare for high winds and snow, Karetak had his sons pack snow against the North end of the house for added insulation and to keep floors in the house warm.

"It's one of our more pure blizzards," Karetak said. "It'll last three days."

In Whale Cove, the same blizzard howled through the community. Theresa Voisey, speaking through an interpreter, said this was the worst blizzard she has seen in a couple of years.

"You can't even see the next building," said Voisey, who's been listening to the radio out of Rankin Inlet and Iqaluit to get updates on the latest news and weather.

By late Thursday evening the weather had finally cleared, with occasional blowing snow making visibility difficult at times.

As most communities recuperated from being battered by the blizzard, resident of the Deh Cho enjoyed balmy conditions last week.

"It's actually really, really nice," said Marilyn Marcellais, a Fort Liard hamlet employee, envying everyone free to go outside and enjoy the warm weather.

When Marcellais checked her thermometer Thursday morning it read -10 C. And it was only getting warmer.

"I would be enjoying this if I didn't have to work," she said in a distraught tone.

"I hope it lasts all through the weekend."