Alaska Fall Equinox Brings Freezing Lows East

Fairbanks, Alaska – Fall begins Tuesday with colder air spreading east across northern Alaska, bringing near- or below-freezing nights through Thursday morning.

According to the National Weather Service in Fairbanks, much of Alaska north of the Alaska Range had already fallen below freezing Monday morning. Numerous communities recorded lows in the 20s and 30s, while the coldest locations reached the lower 20s across the western Brooks Range and the Kobuk and Koyukuk river valleys.

The Eastern Interior remained warmer under wet and cloudy conditions, but the Weather Service said the seasonably chilly air mass will shift east through Thursday morning. That will bring temperatures near or below 32 degrees to more communities during the first days of astronomical fall.

Fairbanks is expected to reach a low of 34 degrees Tuesday, 33 Wednesday and 31 Thursday before returning to 34 Friday. Daytime temperatures could climb from 44 Tuesday and Wednesday to 51 Thursday and 54 Friday.

Colder readings are expected farther north. Utqiagvik could fall to 26 degrees Tuesday, 25 Wednesday and 27 Thursday, while Wainwright could reach 29 Tuesday and 26 Wednesday. Arctic Village could drop to 26 degrees Thursday and 25 Friday.

The autumnal equinox arrives Tuesday, making the expanding freeze especially timely for Alaskans watching for the transition toward winter. Residents with plants, exposed plumbing or other cold-sensitive property should prepare for overnight temperatures near or below freezing where indicated.

The Weather Service information does not provide a specific date for the season’s first snow in Fairbanks. For now, the measurable change is colder overnight temperatures spreading into the Eastern Interior through Thursday morning.