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Fairbanks, Alaska climate
Dfb Warm-summer humid continental
Fairbanks has a strongly seasonal subarctic climate (Warm-summer humid continental, Köppen Dfb). The hottest month is July with an average daily high near 73°F, while the coldest is January averaging around −17°F at night. Precipitation totals about 12 inches a year and is strongly seasonal — July alone averages 2.3 inches while April barely receives 0.34 inches. Snowfall is heavy (65 inches of snow per year on average). At latitude 65°N, day length swings from 3.1 hours in midwinter to 20.9 hours at midsummer.
Temperature & precipitation
Daily high–low temperature range with the monthly average, plus monthly precipitation split into rain and snow · 1991–2020 normals · hover a month for the exact figuresHours of sunshine per day
Estimated sunny hours each month — daylight length × clear-sky fraction · 1991–2020 monthly cloud cover (NASA POWER)Fairbanks climate normals (1991–2020)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°F) | 1 | 12 | 25 | 46 | 62 | 72 | 73 | 66 | 55 | 34 | 12 | 4 |
| Avg temp (°F) | −8 | 0 | 11 | 34 | 50 | 61 | 63 | 57 | 46 | 26 | 4 | −4 |
| Avg low (°F) | −17 | −11 | −3 | 22 | 39 | 50 | 53 | 48 | 36 | 18 | −4 | −13 |
| Precipitation (in) | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 2.3 | 2.1 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.6 |
| Snowfall (in) | 10.2 | 10.0 | 6.5 | 3.1 | 0.9 | — | — | — | 2.3 | 8.2 | 12.5 | 10.9 |
| Jan – Jun | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°F) | 1 | 12 | 25 | 46 | 62 | 72 |
| Avg temp (°F) | −8 | 0 | 11 | 34 | 50 | 61 |
| Avg low (°F) | −17 | −11 | −3 | 22 | 39 | 50 |
| Precipitation (in) | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 1.5 |
| Snowfall (in) | 10.2 | 10.0 | 6.5 | 3.1 | 0.9 | — |
| Jul – Dec | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°F) | 73 | 66 | 55 | 34 | 12 | 4 |
| Avg temp (°F) | 63 | 57 | 46 | 26 | 4 | −4 |
| Avg low (°F) | 53 | 48 | 36 | 18 | −4 | −13 |
| Precipitation (in) | 2.3 | 2.1 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.6 |
| Snowfall (in) | — | — | 2.3 | 8.2 | 12.5 | 10.9 |
Sky & atmosphere
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cloud cover (%) | 61 | 61 | 52 | 57 | 67 | 70 | 75 | 75 | 71 | 71 | 65 | 62 |
| Relative humidity (%) | 96 | 96 | 96 | 88 | 71 | 72 | 76 | 79 | 84 | 91 | 96 | 96 |
| Wind speed (mph) | 4.0 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 2.6 | 1.9 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 2.1 | 3.0 | 3.8 |
| Jan – Jun | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cloud cover (%) | 61 | 61 | 52 | 57 | 67 | 70 |
| Relative humidity (%) | 96 | 96 | 96 | 88 | 71 | 72 |
| Wind speed (mph) | 4.0 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 2.6 | 1.9 | 1.6 |
| Jul – Dec | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cloud cover (%) | 75 | 75 | 71 | 71 | 65 | 62 |
| Relative humidity (%) | 76 | 79 | 84 | 91 | 96 | 96 |
| Wind speed (mph) | 1.5 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 2.1 | 3.0 | 3.8 |
30-year delta table (1991–2020 minus 1981–2010, °F)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Δ Max temp | -0.5 | +1.6 | -0.5 | +1.1 | +1.1 | +0.2 | +0.0 | +0.5 | +0.7 | +2.2 | +1.4 | -0.5 |
| Δ Avg temp | -0.4 | +1.5 | -0.7 | +1.2 | +0.9 | +0.6 | +0.4 | +0.9 | +0.9 | +2.0 | +1.5 | -0.2 |
| Δ Min temp | -0.3 | +1.5 | -0.9 | +1.1 | +0.8 | +0.9 | +0.8 | +1.2 | +1.1 | +1.9 | +1.6 | -0.1 |
| Jan – Jun | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Δ Max temp | -0.5 | +1.6 | -0.5 | +1.1 | +1.1 | +0.2 |
| Δ Avg temp | -0.4 | +1.5 | -0.7 | +1.2 | +0.9 | +0.6 |
| Δ Min temp | -0.3 | +1.5 | -0.9 | +1.1 | +0.8 | +0.9 |
| Jul – Dec | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Δ Max temp | +0.0 | +0.5 | +0.7 | +2.2 | +1.4 | -0.5 |
| Δ Avg temp | +0.4 | +0.9 | +0.9 | +2.0 | +1.5 | -0.2 |
| Δ Min temp | +0.8 | +1.2 | +1.1 | +1.9 | +1.6 | -0.1 |
Methodology & sources
Temperature & precipitation — the official 1991–2020 climate normals from NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals, measured at Fairbanks Intl AP (NOAA GHCN station USW00026411), about 8 km from the city centre.
Cloud, humidity, wind & sunshine — modelled estimates from NASA POWER, NASA's satellite-and-reanalysis climatology. This is the standard global source for atmospheric variables, which are not measured at most weather stations.