Igloolik Island

Island Nunavut island hosting Igloolik community and Arctic culture

An Inuit community on an Arctic island, Igloolik attracts visitors for seasonal wildlife, traditional arts and performances, and for encounters with local Inuktitut culture and Arctic landscapes.

Main image

Igloolik Island is an island in the Foxe Basin off the Melville Peninsula in Nunavut, Canada and is the site of the Inuit hamlet of Igloolik. It is part of the Canadian Arctic archipelago and is a local cultural centre for the surrounding region.

The island contains the village of Igloolik, with community buildings, shoreline landing areas and local services rather than developed tourist infrastructure. The surrounding marine and sea-ice environment is used for hunting, fishing and wildlife viewing at different seasons.

The island and surrounding area have been inhabited by Inuit peoples for many generations. European contact and Canadian administration altered settlement patterns in the 19th and 20th centuries, but the community remains an active centre of Inuit culture and language.

Sited in Foxe Basin off northern mainland Canada, the island lies in the waters between Baffin Island and the Melville Peninsula and is administered from Nunavut.

  • Administrative region: Located within Nunavut's Qikiqtaaluk (Baffin) Region and administered as part of the territory of Nunavut.
  • Settlement: Island hosts the established Inuit community of Igloolik, which is the primary population centre on the island.

What to See #

  • Igloolik (hamlet): The main settlement on the island and the administrative and cultural centre for the local Inuit community, containing services, shops and community facilities used by residents and visitors.
Igloolik Island
69.3844, -81.6656

Best Time to Visit Igloolik Island #

Weather & Climate near Igloolik Island #

Climate

Igloolik Island's climate is classified as Tundra - Tundra climate with cold summers (peaking in July) and freezing winters (coldest in February). Temperatures range from -35°C to 8°C. Semi-arid with limited rainfall.

Temperature & Rainfall
Temperature Range
Warmest Month
-35°
Coldest Month
Monthly Conditions

January

January is freezing with highs of -27°C and lows of -34°C. Light rainfall.

Comfort

-31°
Feels Like Freezing
-31°C
Temperature
-34° -27°

Weather

10 mm
Rainfall
4.6 m/s
Wind
Light Breeze

February

February is the coldest month with highs of -28°C and lows of -35°C. The driest month with just 8 mm.

Comfort

-31°
Feels Like Freezing
-31°C
Temperature
-35° -28°

Weather

8 mm
Rainfall
4.6 m/s
Wind
Light Breeze

March

March is freezing with highs of -24°C and lows of -31°C. Light rainfall.

Comfort

-28°
Feels Like Freezing
-28°C
Temperature
-31° -24°

Weather

13 mm
Rainfall
4.8 m/s
Wind
Light Breeze

April

April is freezing with highs of -15°C and lows of -23°C. Light rainfall.

Comfort

-19°
Feels Like Freezing
-19°C
Temperature
-23° -15°

Weather

16 mm
Rainfall
4.9 m/s
Wind
Light Breeze

May

May is freezing with highs of -5°C and lows of -12°C. Light rainfall.

Comfort

-8°
Feels Like Freezing
-8°C
Temperature
-12° -5°

Weather

18 mm
Rainfall
4.9 m/s
Wind
Light Breeze

June

June is cold with highs of 2°C and lows of -2°C. Light rainfall.

Comfort

Feels Like Cold
C
Temperature
-2°

Weather

16 mm
Rainfall
4.6 m/s
Wind
Light Breeze

July

July is cold with highs of 8°C and lows of 1°C. Moderate rainfall (31 mm).

Comfort

Feels Like Cold
C
Temperature

Weather

31 mm
Rainfall
4.3 m/s
Wind
Light Breeze

August

August is cold with highs of 7°C and lows of 2°C. The wettest month with 43 mm of rain.

Comfort

Feels Like Cold
C
Temperature

Weather

43 mm
Rainfall
4.9 m/s
Wind
Light Breeze

September

September is cold with highs of 2°C and lows of -2°C. Light rainfall.

Comfort

Feels Like Cold
C
Temperature
-2°

Weather

29 mm
Rainfall
5.4 m/s
Wind
Light Breeze

October

October is freezing with highs of -5°C and lows of -10°C. Moderate rainfall (32 mm) and breezy conditions.

Comfort

-8°
Feels Like Freezing
-8°C
Temperature
-11° -5°

Weather

32 mm
Rainfall
6.0 m/s
Wind
Breezy

November

November is freezing with highs of -15°C and lows of -22°C. Light rainfall.

Comfort

-19°
Feels Like Freezing
-19°C
Temperature
-22° -15°

Weather

23 mm
Rainfall
5.7 m/s
Wind
Light Breeze

December

December is freezing with highs of -22°C and lows of -29°C. Light rainfall.

Comfort

-26°
Feels Like Freezing
-26°C
Temperature
-29° -22°

Weather

14 mm
Rainfall
4.8 m/s
Wind
Light Breeze

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