The decisive question is light, not warmth. Between mid-May and early August the sun never sets — 82 continuous days of midnight sun. Between mid-November and late January it never rises — 65 days of polar night, lit by a few hours of twilight. The aurora borealis is visible from August to April when the sky is dark enough.
Summer (June–August) is the easiest visit: temperatures hover between 35 and 50°F (2–10°C), the sun is up around the clock, and the bowhead whaling festival of Nalukataq is held in late June. The Arctic Ocean is largely frozen until mid-July. Winter (November–March) is when you go for the polar night and the strangeness — temperatures drop to -30°F (-34°C), windchill far lower, and the locals run skidoos over the frozen sea. Spring (April–May) is the bowhead hunting season, when crews are out on the ice and the village turns inward; it is also a great time for the aurora.