Iqaluit Snowfall Totals & Accumulation Averages

This page pulls together information on when, how much and how often Iqaluit, Nunavut has snow.

There are data and descriptions here of how many days it snows and the total amount of snowfall that Iqaluit usually gets. There are also monthly and yearly counts of the days that Iqaluit normally has heavy snowstorms and deep snow accumulated on the ground. Plus there's information on when the city can expect its first and last snowfalls of the season.

All the numbers are long-term historical averages based on weather data gathered from 1981 to 2010 at the Iqaluit Airport.

How Often it Snows in Iqaluit

This first table lists monthly and yearly totals for amount of snow and how many days it snows at least 0.2 centimetres (0.08 inches).

Average total snowfall and days with fresh snow in Iqaluit
Days   Inches Centi­metres
12.2 January 8.6 22
11.6 February 8.3 21
12.7 March 8.5 22
13.4 April 12.4 32
12.0 May 10.9 28
3.9 June 3.6 9
0.1 July 0.0 0
0.5 August 0.3 1
7.2 September 5.2 13
13.7 October 11.6 29
13.8 November 11.7 30
12.3 December 9.2 23
113.5 Year 90.3 229

When Iqaluit Has Its First & Last Snowfalls

The first snowfall of autumn for Iqaluit usually arrives in September, but can show up as early as August.

The season's last snowfall typically happens in May or June although in some years a late snow lands in July.

Iqaluit can receive fresh snow any month of the year.

How Many Snowstorms Iqaluit Gets

Most days of snowfall in Iqaluit leave less than five centimetres (2 inches) of fresh snow on the ground. For 13 days a year on average, the amount of new snow totals at least five cm.

Big snowstorms of over ten cm a day normally occur three or four times a year. But major blizzards that dump 25 cm or more in one day are rare events that happen just once a decade.

Number of days per month and year on average in Iqaluit with a total snowfall of at least 5, 10 or 20 centimetres
  5 cm
2.0 inches
10 cm
3.9 inches
25 cm
9.8 inches
January 1.2 0.3 0.0
February 0.8 0.4 0.1
March 1.2 0.3 0.0
April 2.1 0.6 0.0
May 1.7 0.3 0.0
June 0.5 0.3 0.0
August 0.1 0.0 0.0
September 0.6 0.4 0.0
October 2.1 0.2 0.0
November 1.7 0.4 0.0
December 1.2 0.2 0.0
Year 13.2 3.5 0.1

How Much Snow Normally Accumulates in Iqaluit

For 248 days, about two-thirds of the year, Iqaluit has at least a centimetre of snow on the ground. In mid-winter the snowpack averages around 24 cm deep. The snow is usually at its deepest near the end of March and in April.

Average total days per month and year in Iqaluit with snow depth of at least 1, 5, 10 or 20 cm on the ground
1 cm
0.4 inches
5 cm
2.0 inches
  10 cm
3.9 inches
20 cm
7.9 inches
30.9 30.9 January 30.5 20.7
28.2 28.2 February 28.2 20.1
31.0 31.0 March 30.9 22.8
30.0 29.9 April 27.9 24.8
29.1 27.3 May 23.2 15.8
10.0 5.5 June 3.1 1.1
2.7 0.3 September 0.1 0.0
24.6 14.2 October 5.9 0.9
30.0 29.1 November 23.4 5.1
31.0 31.0 December 30.4 13.3
247.5 227.5 Year 203.5 124.6
Reference

Environment Canada. Meteorological Service of Canada. Canadian Climate Normals. 1981-2010 Climate Normals & Averages.

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