Historical temperature and wind conditions in the Hudson Strait region from 1880 to 1950: Kangiqsujuaq, Quaqtaq, and Killiniq

This study uses historical sources to extend the period of meteorological data in northeastern Nunavik (Quebec, Canada). Atmospheric temperature, wind strength and direction, and perception of temperature are extracted from instrumental, documentary, and narrative sources. Perceptions of temperature during the summer and winter months are sorted using a 5-point index based on climate and environmental observations. A confidence scale is elaborated based on the quality, density, and temporality of the sources. From 1880 to 1950, the climate normals of temperature remained similar; however, annual and decadal climatic variability is evident based on the mean monthly and seasonal temperature records and the temperature index. Compared to recent data (twenty-first century), the temperature was 1.5 °C colder. This paper also identifies a correlation between the historical data and the winter North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). Extremely positive phases of the NAO are associated with colder-than-normal periods along the Hudson Strait. Harsh winters are documented in 1883–1885, 1906–1907, and 1913–1914, with predominant west and north-west winds. From 1920 to 1925, the cold winters induced the persistence of sea ice during the summers. Winters appeared to be snowier (1916–1918) during the extremely negative phases of the NAO, while the last decade of the record showed mild and rainy summers. The correlation between temperature and NAO anomalies suggests that northeastern Nunavik is regionally influenced by the North Atlantic atmospheric circulation.