Spring is here!

May 16th, 2012

Sunrise: 4:23 am

Sunset: 1:23 am

Today's temperatures: 0-1 'C  

Ground cover: old snow, puddles and mud

I know, I know, it's MAY, but Spring is now really here in Inuvik. The melt has begun in earnest, and the Dempster Highway is closed as the Mackenzie and Peel River ice bridges are done for the season. This past Saturday it was absolutely gorgeous out: calm, sunny and warm. It was sun-reflecting-off-snow-and-I-need-sunscreen-or-else-I'm-gonna-burn warm. It was a lovely, lovely weekend.

We took advantage of the lovely weather. A few new friends and I piled into a vehicle and drove out along the Dempster Highway to a look-out over Campbell Lake. We struggled through the rotting snow (some with snowshoes, others without) to a bare, rocky outcropping to enjoy a snack and the view of the lake and hills. We had a few biology types in the group, and they gave the play-by-play of the birds we were seeing, a sampling of the multitude of species that decend upon the Beaufort Delta for the warmer months.

Back in town, the melt was really obvious. The weather network stated a high of 13'C, but with the sunshine, it felt even warmer, and snow was melting very quickly. People were out in cropped pants and t-shirts, and lakes and ponds sprung up all over town. Soon we were enjoying BBQ steaks, salads and wine with a view from our hosts' deck. We could see water collecting on Boot Lake and the Mackenzie River beyond. And, like earlier that day, we observed many species of birds as they arrived for their summer retreat.

Back at the apartment, things looked different. The intersection had turned into a small lake, and the side of the road was a veritable stream, with water rushing down to the river. Patches of dirt and mud were visible where mounds of snow had been only days before. Things happen FAST around here! (And it's about time!)

So yes, Spring has sprung!

And on that note, yesterday we had a stiff wind blowing in from the North, local temperatures plummeted to below zero, and we got some fresh snow to cover up all that dirt.

Sigh.

However, I am going to be away for a week now, and I am eager to see how things will have changed in the time that I am away. Stay tuned...