Glen Korstrom
Northern News Services

INUVIK (Aug 21/98) - Leaves are starting to turn yellow, indicating the onset of fall, but does that mean winter is around the corner?

A presentation at the Aurora Research Institute left that distinct impression on the dozen or so visitors who came to watch Ron Cruikshank give a presentation on what Inuvik is like in winter.

"The extreme high temperature for August is 30.6 C," he says. "The mean is 16 C."

January is when the extreme low temperature plunges to -54.4 C, with the average temperature all month being -33 C.

"For the Arctic that's actually pretty mild," Cruikshank says to some gaping tourists.

"Some place in the Yukon is known to go as low as -88 C."

Cruikshank also explains much of Ontario gets more snow than Inuvik does.

Though walking around without a coat on is still pleasant and the trees are still mostly green, Cruikshank predicts Inuvik will see its first snowflakes around Sept. 15.

For many Inuvikmiut short summers are preferable, as life just seems more natural when there is snow around.

Others may lament dwindling daylight as a sign of the endless nights to come, nights broken only by a short and dim "civil twilight."

"If you throw down a knife, it bounces," Cruikshank says, clearly having fun with tourists from California scratching their heads in wonder.

During a slide presentation in which shots of Tuktoyaktuk are shown, he says pingos are great hills for kids to slide down.

Another prop is a map of the area that appears covered in dribbly ink splotches.

"This is a trail map of the Delta region in winter," says Cruikshank.

Though one warning is to stock up on milk before freeze-up, no doubt many Inuvikmiut are gearing up for winter and keen to travel their favorite snowmobile trails and explore new ones.