Pelly Bay

This article is about the body of water. For the hamlet formerly known as Pelly Bay, see Kugaaruk. For other uses, see Pelly Bay (disambiguation).

Pelly Bay
Pelly Bay is located in Nunavut
Pelly Bay
Pelly Bay
Location in Nunavut
LocationGulf of Boothia
Coordinates68°53′N 90°05′W / 68.883°N 90.083°W / 68.883; -90.083 (Pelly Bay)[1]
Ocean/sea sourcesArctic Ocean
Basin countriesCanada
SettlementsKugaaruk

Pelly Bay is an Arctic waterway in Kitikmeot Region, Nunavut, Canada. It is located in the Gulf of Boothia. To the east, it is bounded by the Simpson Peninsula. Helen Island lies in the bay.[2] Pelly Bay is named after Sir John Pelly, governor of the Hudson's Bay Company, that managed the British territory of Rupert's Land, that Pelly Bay was located within when it was named.[3]

The settlement of Kugaaruk is located on the bay's eastern shore. Until 1999, Kugaaruk was also known as Pelly Bay.[4]

Climate

Kugaaruk is the location of the lowest wind chill ever recorded in Canada, of −79[5]

On 16 February 2018, the Human Weather Observation System (HWOS), a type of semi-automated weather observing system, reported an unreviewed new minimum temperature for the month of February at −51.9 °C (−61.4 °F) at 06:00 MST.[6] It beat the previous record of −51.5 °C (−60.7 °F) that was set 28 January 1989.[7]

The area has a tundra climate (Köppen: ETf) with short but cool summers and long cold winters.

Climate data for Kugaaruk (Kugaaruk Airport)
Climate ID: 2303092; coordinates 68°32′26″N 89°47′50″W / 68.54056°N 89.79722°W / 68.54056; -89.79722 (Kugaaruk Airport); elevation: 15.5 m (51 ft); 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1984–present
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high humidex −2.3 −9.9 −3.5 1.4 9.8 25.9 29.4 26.4 18.4 5.6 −0.5 −1.6 29.4
Record high °C (°F) −2.0
(28.4) 		−10.0
(14.0) 		−3.5
(25.7) 		1.8
(35.2) 		10.2
(50.4) 		26.0
(78.8) 		27.5
(81.5) 		29.0
(84.2) 		18.5
(65.3) 		8.0
(46.4) 		0.0
(32.0) 		−1.4
(29.5) 		29.0
(84.2)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) −28.1
(−18.6) 		−29.1
(−20.4) 		−24.2
(−11.6) 		−14.5
(5.9) 		−4.0
(24.8) 		6.4
(43.5) 		14.4
(57.9) 		10.9
(51.6) 		3.1
(37.6) 		−5.0
(23.0) 		−16.1
(3.0) 		−23.3
(−9.9) 		−9.1
(15.6)
Daily mean °C (°F) −31.8
(−25.2) 		−32.8
(−27.0) 		−28.7
(−19.7) 		−19.4
(−2.9) 		−7.7
(18.1) 		3.1
(37.6) 		9.8
(49.6) 		7.1
(44.8) 		0.7
(33.3) 		−8.0
(17.6) 		−19.8
(−3.6) 		−27.1
(−16.8) 		−12.9
(8.8)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −35.5
(−31.9) 		−36.5
(−33.7) 		−33.1
(−27.6) 		−24.1
(−11.4) 		−11.3
(11.7) 		−0.1
(31.8) 		5.2
(41.4) 		3.3
(37.9) 		−1.7
(28.9) 		−10.8
(12.6) 		−23.5
(−10.3) 		−30.9
(−23.6) 		−16.6
(2.1)
Record low °C (°F) −51.5
(−60.7) 		−51.8
(−61.2) 		−51.0
(−59.8) 		−44.5
(−48.1) 		−32.0
(−25.6) 		−15.2
(4.6) 		−1.9
(28.6) 		−5.0
(23.0) 		−15.7
(3.7) 		−31.0
(−23.8) 		−42.3
(−44.1) 		−48.5
(−55.3) 		−51.8
(−61.2)
Record low wind chill −79.0 −68.2 −63.4 −53.5 −40.1 −24.8 −6.3 −8.9 −19.8 −44.3 −53.1 −60.2 −79.0
Average precipitation mm (inches) 8.3
(0.33) 		7.0
(0.28) 		13.8
(0.54) 		17.1
(0.67) 		11.8
(0.46) 		23.4
(0.92) 		37.9
(1.49) 		43.8
(1.72) 		28.1
(1.11) 		23.5
(0.93) 		12.8
(0.50) 		12.5
(0.49) 		239.9
(9.44)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.8
(0.03) 		20.7
(0.81) 		39.7
(1.56) 		46.1
(1.81) 		17.2
(0.68) 		1.1
(0.04) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		125.5
(4.94)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 9.4
(3.7) 		7.8
(3.1) 		16.7
(6.6) 		18.3
(7.2) 		14.8
(5.8) 		4.1
(1.6) 		0.0
(0.0) 		1.3
(0.5) 		14.2
(5.6) 		26.5
(10.4) 		17.5
(6.9) 		14.9
(5.9) 		145.5
(57.3)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) 9.4 7.4 9.7 9.4 8.6 9.6 10.8 13.0 14.5 15.4 11.2 9.9 128.7
Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.65 6.9 10.2 13.2 7.2 0.50 0.0 0.0 38.7
Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) 7.6 6.1 8.1 7.4 7.7 1.8 0.0 0.47 7.8 14.5 10.8 7.8 79.8
Average relative humidity (%) (at 1500 LST) 72.7 78.1 73.2 80.8 82.9 77.3 66.4 72.0 81.2 85.0 79.0 78.4 77.2
Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada[8] (humidity 1981–2010)[7]


References

  1. ^ "Pelly Bay". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada. 23 May 2024.
  2. ^ "Pelly Bay". Mapcarta. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
  3. ^ "Kugaaruk". Above & Beyond. 28 June 2019.
  4. ^ "Pelly Bay (Previously Official)". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada. 23 May 2024.
  5. ^ "Hourly Data Report for January 13, 1975". Archived from the original on 13 April 2024.
  6. ^ Hourly Data Report for February 16, 2018
  7. ^ a b "Kugaaruk A". Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010. Environment and Climate Change Canada. Climate ID: 2303092. Archived from the original on 22 December 2023. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
  8. ^ "Kugaaruk (Composite Station Threads)". Canadian Climate Normals 1991-2020 Data. Environment and Climate Change Canada. Archived from the original on 13 April 2024. Retrieved 13 April 2024.


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