The rescue of a hunter stranded on a drifting ice floe in the Northwest Passage is only hours away, his wife said Sunday.

A Canadian Forces helicopter from Nova Scotia is expected to lift David Idlout to safety from his icy raft in the darkness south of Resolute, Nunavut, early Monday, Tracy Kalluk said.

Blizzard-like conditions had delayed the helicopter's journey, but Kalluk reiterated forecast reports that the weather was improving.

Idlout, 39, left Friday on a seal hunt and was hunting at the edge of the sea ice, about 15 kilometres from Resolute, Nunavut, when a large chunk of ice broke free and he drifted out to sea.

The experienced hunter had a satellite phone with him and called his wife, Tracy. She called her father who called the coast guard. Idlout built himself an ice shelter and has spent two nights on the ice.

Idlout's wife, who has been talking to him every two hours said, her husband is well-versed in cold weather survival.

Early attempts at a rescue were thwarted when a helicopter sent to Resolute to pluck the man off the ice was unable to take off due to mechanical problems.

Rescuers have since dropped food, water, a tent, fuel and a locator beacon to him — but they haven't been able to get any closer to pick him up because of strong winds, snow and ice pellets in the area.

Resolute remains under a blizzard warning. There's poor visibility and winds of 50 km/h, gusting to 80 km/h. But a gradual improvement in the weather was expected Sunday evening.

With files from The Canadian Press