On February 15, 2026, Environment and Climate Change Canada upgraded the cold alert for Igloolik, Nunavut, from a yellow awareness level to an orange warning. This change comes as the community faces extreme wind chill values between minus 55 and minus 60, which are expected to continue into next week. This alert level means the severe weather is likely to cause significant health impacts or disruptions to daily life.
The orange alert level is part of a new system launched by Environment and Climate Change Canada in late 2025 to better identify weather risks. At these extreme temperatures, the risk of frostbite is very high, and it can occur on exposed skin in less than two minutes. Residents are being told to limit their time outdoors and stay covered if they must go outside.
Mayor George Auksaq and local officials are monitoring the situation as the deep freeze puts extra pressure on the local power grid and heating fuel supplies. The extreme cold can cause higher-than-normal demand for power and fuel delivery services. People are encouraged to check on their neighbours and make sure pets are safe from the freezing conditions.
The prolonged cold is also expected to affect travel in and out of the community, with a high chance of flight cancellations and ground equipment issues. The federal weather agency expects this multi-day episode to last into late February. Local emergency and health guidance should be followed until the wind chill values improve.
