Snowfall in Iqaluit twice as much as last winter
Periods of low-visibility and snow piles also on the rise this winter
CBC News
Posted: Feb 12, 2013 12:33 PM CST
Last Updated: Feb 12, 2013 2:19 PM CST
Iqaluit's snowfall this year has more than doubled the amount the city saw last year. (CBC)
Iqaluit’s snowfall this year has more than doubled the amount the city saw last year.
So far, 122 centimetres of snow has hit the ground; this time last year only 46 centimetres had fallen.
“But it doesn't really represent a lot more than what you would normally get by this time in February,” said David Phillips, senior climatologist with Environment Canada.
The snow is piling up in the city. There's a by-law in Iqaluit that says snow piles located within five metres of an intersection can’t be more than one metre in height. But many are much taller than that.
John Hussey, with the City of Iqaluit, said that's something that will be looked into because high piles can pose a risk to public safety.
“A lot of people in this town walk: they walk to work, they walk from home to home and they walk to get their groceries. It's very important that we try to designate an area that's separated from vehicle traffic and pedestrian traffic,” Hussey said.
Snow is also blowing around more than usual.
Periods of low-visibility have also wreaked havoc on Iqaluit this winter. (CBC)Phillips said normally Iqaluit would experience about 35 hours of low-visibility — where you can’t see beyond one kilometre —in the last two weeks of January. This year, Phillips said there has been 100 hours of low-visibility.
According to Phillips, most of Nunavut’s snow falls after Feb. 1, so there’s likely much more to come.
Iqaluit has also seen warmer than normal temperatures so far this year. The average daily high was about one degree above the normal in January, and February has seen temperatures six degrees higher than average.
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