Iqaluit (NU) Temperature by Month

Iqaluit in Nunavut, Canada sees significant seasonal temperature differences, with daytime highs between -21°C (-6°F) in February and 12°C (54°F) in July, averaging -4°C (25°F) annually. Explore the full monthly breakdown below.

In Iqaluit, temperatures can shift dramatically between mild in summer and very cold in winter. Nights follow the same pattern, with lows ranging from 5°C (41°F) in July to -28°C (-18°F) in February.

The chart below illustrates the average maximum day and minimum night temperatures in Iqaluit by month:

Low temperatures are most often recorded between 4 AM and 6 AM, while highs typically occur around 3 PM. July, the city's warmest month, sees 236 hours of sunshine.

The chart below shows the average temperature throughout the year:

Iqaluit's average annual maximum temperature is -4°C (25°F). To put that in context, here's how it compares to a few well-known destinations:

Rome, Italy averages 20°C (68°F) annually, with reliably warm summers and comfortable winters.

On the cooler end, Oslo, Norway averages just 10°C (50°F) annually, with pleasant summers but long, cold winters.

Shanghai, China averages 21°C (70°F) a year, with warm summers, mild winters, and a noticeable spring and autumn.

Tokyo, Japan averages 21°C (70°F) a year, with hot summers, cool winters, and a well-defined cherry blossom spring.

Temperature alone doesn't tell the whole story, humidity plays a big role in how warm or cold it actually feels. High humidity in summer makes the heat feel more intense, particularly once temperatures climb above 25°C. In winter, the same humidity can make cold air feel sharper than the thermometer suggests.

In the cooler months, when temperatures drop below 10°C, high humidity makes the cold feel more cutting than it would in dry conditions.

In Iqaluit, February is the coolest month, with average highs of -21°C (-6°F) and humidity around 68%, considered high. For a full picture, see our humidity page.

Climate temperature data is typically calculated as a 30-year average. This smooths out year-to-year variability and gives a more reliable picture of what a place is actually like, rather than what happened in any single unusual year.

The readings come from a range of sources, land-based weather stations, ocean buoys, ships, and satellites. That data is collected by weather services around the world, then pooled, quality-checked, and averaged to produce the climate records you see here.

Seasonal temperature shifts influence more than just how warm it feels, they also drive changes in rainfall, cloud cover, and wind patterns throughout the year.

Warmer air holds more moisture, which tends to mean heavier or more frequent rain during the warmer months. When temperatures drop in winter, any precipitation that does fall is more likely to come as snow or sleet, though in Iqaluit this rarely lasts long on the ground.

For more on Iqaluit's weather, including monthly rainfall, sunshine hours, and humidity, visit our Iqaluit climate page.