Blizzard conditions hit several N.W.T. communities

Several communities in the Northwest Territories are dealing with blizzards today.

Environment Canada is forecasting the severe weather for the Sahtu region,, the Deh Cho region and the Beaufort Delta. Schools and government offices in many of the communities are closed today due to the strong winds and blowing snow. 

Tsiigehtchic, N.W.T., resident Jimsey Cardinal said crews working on the Dempster Highway are having problems working because of the weather.

"You can’t see anything. They just graded that all day yesterday with a grader. I think they’re going to go back out there, there’s going to be tons of snow this morning," he said.

But only an hour away, the community of Fort McPherson, N.W.T., is having beautiful weather even though Environment Canada was predicting winds of up to 70 kilometres an hour for the community.

Chief William Koe said it hasn’t happened yet.

"I was waiting to get up this morning to a big storm, but we haven’t got the storm and I don’t think we’ll get it," said Koe.

CBC News has confirmed that schools are closed in Ulukhaktok, N.W.T., Inuvik, and in Kugluktuk, Nunavut.

Severe weather warnings are in effect for:

• Aklavik, N.W.T.
• Arviat, N.W.T.
• Colville Lake, N.W.T.
• Deline, N.W.T.
• Fort Good Hope, N.W.T.
• Fort McPherson, N.W.T.
• Gameti, N.W.T.
• Inuvik, N.W.T.
• Kugluktuk, Nunavut
• Norman Wells, N.W.T.
• Paulatuk, N.W.T.
• Rankin Inlet, Nunavut
• Sachs Harbour, N.W.T.
• Tuktoyaktuk, N.W.T.
• Tulita, N.W.T.
• Ulukhaktok, N.W.T.
• Wekweeti, N.W.T.
• Whale Cove, Nunavut
• Whati, N.W.T.
• Wrigley, N.W.T.