Blizzard warning for Sanirajak, heavy snow for Pangnirtung

Environment Canada issued a blizzard warning for Sanirajak, Nunavut, and snowfall warnings for Igloolik and Pangnirtung on Saturday night, as a storm brings heavy snow and strong wind to parts of the territory.

In Sanirajak, the weather agency said very heavy snow combined with winds gusting to 90 km/h is expected to produce blizzard conditions with very poor visibility in blowing snow. Total snowfall of 15 to 25 centimetres is expected by Sunday morning. “Travel will likely be hazardous,” the warning said, and residents were urged to limit travel and outdoor activities if possible. People who become lost or stranded should stay where they are until conditions improve.

Nearby Igloolik is under a snowfall warning as a trough of low pressure moves through. Environment Canada said heavy snow and blowing snow are expected or occurring there, with total accumulations near 15 cm. The snow should taper off by Sunday morning, and roads and walkways will likely be difficult to navigate.

On southern Baffin Island, the snowfall warning for Pangnirtung calls for snow at times heavy through Saturday night and Sunday morning, with 25 to 40 cm by the time it tapers off later Sunday. Visibility will likely be reduced at times, and the agency said travel conditions could change quickly and deteriorate.

No warning was in effect for Iqaluit as of late Saturday, but the city’s forecast calls for flurries, with two to four centimetres tonight and five to 10 cm on Sunday. The high Sunday is zero, with a wind chill of minus 7 in the morning.

Environment Canada asks residents to report severe weather by email to [email protected], by phone at 1-800-239-0484, or on social media using #NUStorm. Current alerts are posted on the Environment Canada website.

The storm follows a run of early-winter weather across the North. Earlier this week, a storm surge warning was issued for Tuktoyaktuk, N.W.T. Drivers elsewhere in the country can check winter tire rules by province, and our look at what a milder winter could mean for Canada explains the seasonal outlook.

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