Lee-Michael Shawn Ruben and John Sam Green enjoy the snow in Paulatuk.
© Maya MarchLee-Michael Shawn Ruben and John Sam Green enjoy the snow in Paulatuk.
It might not quite feel like a Northern Christmas in July, but some people in parts of the N.W.T. certainly aren't welcoming the winter-like weather that's hit their communities.

This week, snow has been falling in at least three N.W.T. communities — Sachs Harbour, Inuvik and Paulatuk.

CBC Meteorologist Ashley Brauweiler says about five centimetres fell in Sachs Harbour between Tuesday and Wednesday, breaking a new record for July 20. The last record was hit in 1966 with just 3.3 centimetres of snow.


A poor little snowman with a bottle cap for a hat in Inuvik, N.W.T., on July 20.
© Aaron BaraboffA poor little snowman with a bottle cap for a hat in Inuvik, N.W.T., on July 20.
Brauweiler says conditions could continue into Thursday, with another two to three centimetres falling in Sachs Harbour.

She says it's all thanks to a low-pressure system that formed over the Beaufort Sea and is slowly moving east, including over Sachs Harbour.

"The combination of cold temperatures in the upper levels along with surface temperatures hovering near or just below zero means all that precipitation is falling as snow for Sachs Harbour," Brauweiler said.

Northerns have certainly endured worse weather, but can they tolerate it in July?

Wet, slushy snow also fell in Inuvik and Paulatuk Wednesday, but didn't seem to stick.

Maya March in Paulatuk wasn't too happy about the snow that fell on the community earlier Wednesday.

Maya March
Brauweiler says any community up along the Arctic coast could see some snow. And they may have to endure it for a little longer: she says low temperatures could mean a bit more snow for those communities too.