Cape Parry

Cape Parry is a headland in Canada's Northwest Territories. Located at the northern tip of the Parry Peninsula, it projects into Amundsen Gulf. The nearest settlement is Paulatuk, 100 km (62 mi) to the south, and Fiji Island is located 9 km (5.6 mi) to the west. Cape Parry was formerly accessible through Cape Parry Airport that was located at the Distant Early Warning Line. The airport was listed as abandoned after the closure of the DEW line site.[1]

It is named for the Arctic explorer William Edward Parry.

History

Between the 1950s to the 1980s, a Distant Early Warning Line site (PIN-Main) was located south of Police Point, the cape's western point.[2] During the period of 1969 to 1982, eighteen sounding rocket launches were made at Cape Parry.[3]

Geography

Cape Parry is a three-pointed outcrop of coastal cliffs. The limestone formation rises 20 m (66 ft) above sea level. The deeply incised coastal beaches are composed of sand and gravel, and form bays and inlets.[4] On either side of the narrow isthmus that joins Cape Parry to the Parry Peninsula are Tyne Bay to the west and Gillet Bay to the east.[2]

Climate

Absolute minimum temperature is −47.2 °C (−53.0 °F), while absolute maximum temperature is 23.9 °C (75.0 °F). Annual snowfall is 116.0 cm (45.7 in).[5] Although the manned weather station is no longer in operation there is an automatic weather station (CZCP) at the site.[6]

Climate data for Cape Parry
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high humidex −1.6 −3.5 −1.2 3.4 10.6 22.1 26.9 23.0 18.8 5.0 2.8 −1.8 26.9
Record high °C (°F) −1.0
(30.2)		 −2.4
(27.7)		 −0.6
(30.9)		 4.0
(39.2)		 11.1
(52.0)		 21.2
(70.2)		 23.9
(75.0)		 21.8
(71.2)		 18.3
(64.9)		 10.7
(51.3)		 3.3
(37.9)		 −1.7
(28.9)		 23.9
(75.0)
Average high °C (°F) −23.1
(−9.6)		 −24.4
(−11.9)		 −22.3
(−8.1)		 −13.7
(7.3)		 −4.4
(24.1)		 5.0
(41.0)		 9.4
(48.9)		 8.0
(46.4)		 2.8
(37.0)		 −4.4
(24.1)		 −16.2
(2.8)		 −20.2
(−4.4)		 −8.6
(16.5)
Daily mean °C (°F) −26.1
(−15.0)		 −27.5
(−17.5)		 −25.5
(−13.9)		 −17.2
(1.0)		 −7.2
(19.0)		 2.3
(36.1)		 6.3
(43.3)		 5.5
(41.9)		 1.1
(34.0)		 −6.5
(20.3)		 −18.9
(−2.0)		 −23.2
(−9.8)		 −11.4
(11.5)
Average low °C (°F) −29.1
(−20.4)		 −30.6
(−23.1)		 −28.7
(−19.7)		 −20.8
(−5.4)		 −9.9
(14.2)		 −0.4
(31.3)		 3.1
(37.6)		 2.9
(37.2)		 −0.7
(30.7)		 −8.5
(16.7)		 −21.6
(−6.9)		 −26.0
(−14.8)		 −14.2
(6.4)
Record low °C (°F) −47.2
(−53.0)		 −47.2
(−53.0)		 −43.4
(−46.1)		 −38.9
(−38.0)		 −27.8
(−18.0)		 −12.2
(10.0)		 −3.9
(25.0)		 −4.3
(24.3)		 −12.8
(9.0)		 −28.3
(−18.9)		 −36.7
(−34.1)		 −41.7
(−43.1)		 −47.2
(−53.0)
Record low wind chill −68.4 −67.3 −60.6 −53.2 −37.2 −22.3 −10.0 −14.0 −21.1 −38.4 −52.5 −61.1 −68.4
Average precipitation mm (inches) 6.7
(0.26)		 7.9
(0.31)		 5.0
(0.20)		 6.1
(0.24)		 8.0
(0.31)		 9.1
(0.36)		 24.5
(0.96)		 26.5
(1.04)		 27.4
(1.08)		 23.2
(0.91)		 10.0
(0.39)		 6.8
(0.27)		 161.2
(6.35)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.7
(0.03)		 7.8
(0.31)		 23.5
(0.93)		 21.9
(0.86)		 14.7
(0.58)		 0.8
(0.03)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 69.4
(2.73)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 8.2
(3.2)		 10.6
(4.2)		 6.6
(2.6)		 8.9
(3.5)		 10.2
(4.0)		 2.1
(0.8)		 0.9
(0.4)		 3.7
(1.5)		 12.9
(5.1)		 27.6
(10.9)		 15.1
(5.9)		 9.3
(3.7)		 116.0
(45.7)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) 6.3 7.1 5.9 6.2 6.2 4.7 9.0 10.9 12.1 15.0 8.3 8.4 100.2
Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.8 3.8 10.1 11.1 7.5 1.1 0.0 0.1 34.6
Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) 8.2 9.6 7.9 8.7 8.3 2.4 0.9 2.7 7.9 16.9 11.1 9.4 93.9
Average relative humidity (%) 78.6 79.4 77.6 81.2 86.1 82.6 79.4 83.4 85.7 85.0 81.4 80.5 81.7
Source: Environment Canada Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010[5]

Flora and fauna

There is sparse vegetation, except in low-lying wet areas.[7]

Beluga whale, bowhead whale, bearded seal, ringed seal, as well as caribou, grizzly bear, and polar bear, frequent the area.[4][7]

There are nationally significant populations of common eider, glaucous gull, king eider, long-tailed duck, and yellow-billed loon on the cape. It is also one of only two sites in the western Arctic where black guillemot are thought to breed.[4] The cape's thick-billed murre colony is more isolated than any other murre colony in the world.[7]

Protection status

The cape, an Important Bird Area (NT041), is home to the Cape Parry Migratory Bird Sanctuary (Site 6) which was established in 1961.[8] It is also an International Biological Programme Site (#4-11) and lies within a Key Marine Habitat Site (Site 19).[4]

References
  1. Canada Flight Supplement. Effective 0901Z 16 July 2020 to 0901Z 10 September 2020.
  2. "Cape Parry NWT PIN-Main". Retrieved 21 September 2010.
  3. "Cape Parry". Retrieved 21 September 2010.
  4. Latour, Paul; et al. (Environment Canada) (2008). Key migratory bird terrestrial habitat sites in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut (PDF). Ottawa: Canadian Wildlife Service. p. 20. ISBN 978-0-662-46720-5. OCLC 232711462.
  5. "Cape Parry A" (CSV (3069 KB)). Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010. Environment Canada. Climate ID: 2200675. Retrieved 2014-01-09.
  7. Johnson, Stephen R.; Ward, John G. (June 1985). "Observations of Thick-billed Murres (Uria lomvia') and Other Seabirds at Cape Parry, Amundsen Gulf, N.W.T." (PDF). Arctic. 38 (2): 112. doi:10.14430/arctic2119.
  8. "Northwest Territories Migratory Bird Sanctuary Facts". Environment Canada. Archived from the original on 11 June 2011. Retrieved 21 September 2010.

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