Axel, Elle, & Napu
by Tobias Thorleifsson
Yesterday, we flew to Resolute Bay with the dogs. Our dogs had never been on a plane before and thankfully all went very well.
Resolute has a population below 300 and it is one of the coldest inhabited places on earth with an average temperature throughout the year at 1.94 °F.
The history of Resolute is pretty special. In the early 1950′s Inuit were forcibly moved from northern Quebec to Resolute by Canadian authorities to ensure that the northernmost parts of Canada was populated. For these Inuit the move to Resolute was a tough one. The climate was totally different than further south in Quebec and there is little the wildlife in the area, apart from a lot of Polar Bears.
Inuit have nevertheless survived in Resolute and today is this village last stop for expeditions to the North Pole. The Canadian military also has a small base here.
It is warm in the Arctic…
Yesterday it was minus 23°F in Iqaluit and in the sun, we measured almost 60°F degrees. When I was here in March 2008, there were seldom warmer than -13°F. People in town are happy for the warmth, but also note that it is coming too early.
In Resolute temperature was 13°F, normally is around -20°F. That is 33 degrees warmer than normal.
In Grise Fiord, the nearest weather station from our starting point of the expedition, Goose Fjord, it was 12°F yesterday compared to a normal of -17°F. If this heat continues, it going to have a big impact on our trip.
The weather forecast indicates things will cool down a bit, but not down to normal temperatures for this time of year.
The weather forecast for Grise Fiord and normal temperatures, you can follow here: http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/city/pages/nu-12_metric_e.html
More to come from Resolute.