Thaw the turkey and get ready for a chill — snow is coming to the North
Snow and flurries affecting most northern communities this weekend
It's set to be a snowy one out there across the North this Thanksgiving weekend with almost every community having some sort of snow or flurries in the forecast over the next three days.
Honestly, it will be perfect for eating turkey, spending time indoors and feeling cozy while reflecting on the things that we are thankful for. It's a good opportunity to take a moment of gratitude, especially after the year we've all had.
Colder air coming in this weekend
Let's start this forecast by saying that it is October in the North, and once this weekend is over we'll be almost halfway through the month. So, we expect temperatures across the territories to start to fall, seeing as our normals for this time of year in the capitals are -1 C in Iqaluit, 6 C in Whitehorse and 2 C in Yellowknife.
This means wind chills, flurries and snow shouldn't be any surprise.
Major weather maker this thanksgiving
The biggest weather system this Thanksgiving weekend is a low-pressure system that is moving from the northwestern prairies into Nunavut on Sunday, before hitting the Arctic into Monday.
This system will quickly bring large amounts of snowfall to communities along its path, which stretches from the N.W.T.-Nunavut border toward Melville Island.
The highest accumulations are headed for Baker Lake, Nunavut (where 20-35 centimetres is expected), and Cambridge Bay, Nunavut (which should see 15-20 centimetres).
Snow elsewhere in the North
Though no communities are set to see as much snowfall as Baker Lake and Cambridge Bay, other areas of the North will see snow, some communities for the first time this season.
In the Yukon, Mayo, Dawson, Old Crow and Carmacks will see five to eight centimetres, but some snow and flurries are also possible further south in the territory, with one to three centimetres on the way for Carcross, Teslin and Watson Lake.
Meanwhile, in the N.W.T., most communities will see snow, flurries, or freezing drizzle at some point over the Thanksgiving weekend.
The highest amounts are headed for Sachs Harbour, Ulukhaktok, Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk where eight to 10 centimetres are possible. Further south, communities in the Sahtu will likely see two to six centimetres of snow.
So, there you have it, a snowy, blowy weekend in store. But despite that, be thankful for the changing seasons — and have a great Thanksgiving!