Baffin Sea Water Temperature Today & Regional Overview
We find every place where you can swim and show you the water temperature there today and throughout the year.
Current Water Temperature
The water temperature in the Baffin Sea today ranges from -0.1°C (Upernavik, Greenland) to 3.9°C (Qasigiannguit, Greenland).
As of today, the minimum water temperature in the Baffin Sea ranges less than 41°F (5°C). Such water is extremely cold and not recommended for swimming without proper preparation. In these conditions, the risk of hypothermia is very high, and prolonged exposure to the water can be hazardous to your health. If you decide to swim, it is important to have the appropriate gear, such as a wetsuit. Typically, only experienced swimmers or those who practice winter swimming venture into such waters.
It is important to note that these swimming tips and recommendations apply only in good weather. When the air temperature is below 68°F (20°C), and sometimes even below 77°F (25°C), swimming can be unpleasant even with relatively high water temperatures.
Sea Temperature Trends
Over the past month, the water temperature in the Baffin Sea has increased by 3°C. In general, the sea water temperature remains within the statistical range for this time of year.
Water Temperature and Swimming Conditions Throughout the Year
| Month | Min | Max |
|---|---|---|
| January | -2°C | 1°C |
| February | -3°C | 1°C |
| March | -3°C | 1°C |
| April | -4°C | 1°C |
| May | -4°C | 3°C |
| June | -3°C | 7°C |
| July | -2°C | 9°C |
| August | -2°C | 8°C |
| September | 1°C | 7°C |
| October | -2°C | 5°C |
| November | -3°C | 3°C |
| December | -3°C | 3°C |
The Baffin Sea, the cold Arctic waters around Baffin Island and adjacent straits, maintains very low temperatures year-round. Surface temperatures are typically close to the freezing point of seawater in winter, roughly −2°C to 0°C, and only rise modestly in summer. Seasonal surface ranges are approximately −2°C to 0°C in winter, about −1°C to 3°C in spring, roughly 0°C to 6°C in summer with isolated sheltered fjords occasionally reaching near 8°C in late summer, and about −1°C to 3°C again in autumn. Deeper water remains much colder and more stable, and local variations are strong: coastal shallows warmed by brief summer sunlight can be a few degrees warmer, while currents, freshwater input and lingering pack ice keep many areas at or just below freezing for much of the year.
Swimming Conditions
Swimming in the Baffin Sea is technically possible but effectively impractical and hazardous for most people. There are generally no blanket bans on entering the water, but extreme cold, fast onset of hypothermia, coastal ice, remote locations and strong currents make casual or unsuited swimming unsafe. Only well-equipped, experienced persons using protective dry suits or thick neoprene, with shore support and emergency plans, should consider immersion, and even then exposure times must be strictly limited. For most visitors, close appreciation of the region’s waters is best done from shore or by boat rather than by swimming, both for personal safety and because local conditions change rapidly with ice and weather.