Climate

Climate

Although Ittoqqortoormiit is situated only half way up the Coast of East Greenland, the climate is more typical of the high-Arctic. A cold, south flowing current emerging from the Arctic Ocean sweeps by the northeast Greenland coast and helps to control regional weather patterns.

The weather in Ittoqqortoormiit region is characterized by prolonged periods of high-pressure conditions, but as anywhere in the Arctic, these periods are frequently interrupted by strong winds, low clouds and precipitation.

Even during favourable times, the breeze can be quite cold and fog is frequent on the outer coast during spring and summer. The summers are short, but can be quite pleasant with long periods of fair weather and 24 hours of daylight. The first snow falls in September and the long winters, when the sun does not rise above the horizon for over two months, are stormy and extremely cold.

The entrance to Scoresby Sund is generally ice-free year around as a result of currents flowing into and out of the fjord. This generally open water is termed a polynya, and it has been a major factor in controlling the distribution of marine life in the fjord and the exploitation of them by native people.

Scoresby Sund starts to freeze over in November. The ice has a relatively smooth surface and may reach a thickness of up to 2m. There is often a clear border between the fixed fjord ice and the moving pack ice.

This is called the ice edge or “iskant”. By April the sun has regained its power and soon the first signs of spring are in the air. Thawing of the fjord ice on Scoresby Sund starts in June in the far west, but the area at the mouth of the fjord is not free of ice until July.

The thick snow cover on land also melts at about the same time. During the 1990’s the average temperatures have risen somewhat, perhaps, in part, a result of global warming. In the last few years this has led to later freezing over and earlier ice-free conditions. Drifting Pack Ice can enter Scoresby Sund at any time during the summer and make marine navigation difficult.

Check out the Ittoqqortoormiit forecast  here

Check out sunset and sunrise (Insert 22 degrees West and 70.30 degrees North ) here