Say it isn't snow! Burst of July snow on tap for some Canadians this week
Some folks across Northern Canada and B.C. are in for a burst of winter in July.
It may be the heart of summer, but some folks across Northern Canada and British Columbia are in for an unexpected burst of winter this week.
Extreme temperature contrasts have developed across the north over the past few weeks, bringing an unusual chill to the Yukon and Northwest Territories while Nunavut basks in much more mild temperatures.
Ellesmere Island, Canada's northernmost and third-largest island, is forecast to see rounds of snow through Wednesday thanks to a chilly upper-level trough swirling just south of the North Pole.
SEE ALSO: Astonishing! This Ontario snow pile made it to July (so far)
The July snow will impact all approximately 144 people who call the island home, most of whom live in Grise Fiord. Luckily, Grise Fiord is forecast to only see a few centimetres of snowfall accumulation--much less than the 15-20 cm forecast across northern portions of the island.
Fun fact: Ellesmere Island is no stranger to July snowfall! Alert, Canada's northernmost inhabited location, typically sees 12.8 cm of snowfall in July. The island's two other communities, Eureka and Gris Fiord, typically see 1 cm and 1.6 cm of snow in July, respectively.
Some of Canada's biggest July snowfall events have taken place in Nunavut, including most recently on July 7, 1995, when 14 cm of snow fell in Alert. Before that, 16.6 cm of snow was recorded there on July 7, 1988.
DON'T MISS: We've officially entered the 'dog days of summer'--let's explore what that means
The biggest July snowfall, however, goes to Eureka with 17.2 cm of snowfall on July 27, 1986.
Meanwhile, further south, across northern B.C. and the mountains, a cool trough is forecast to move onshore late Tuesday into Wednesday. Regions at higher terrain, such as near Bulkley Valley, inland Central Coast, Dease Lake, Muncho Lake, inland North Coast, and Williston will be subject to rounds of wet snow through Wednesday.
Unlike in Northern Canada, summer snowfall events are fairly rare for areas in northern B.C., such as Muncho Lake (which is west of Fort Nelson). Here, we tend to see summer snow once in about every five years.
Stay with The Weather Network for more information and updates on your weather across Canada.