Weather
Alaska Weather Alert: U.S. Hits First -11°F of Season Oct. 15
FAIRBANKS, AK – Winter has delivered a dramatic early season milestone in the United States, with a remote weather station in northern Alaska recording a bone chilling minus 11 degrees Fahrenheit Thur
By Nolan Pierce · 2026-10-16T09:53:02.583Z
FAIRBANKS, AK – Winter has delivered a dramatic early season milestone in the United States, with a remote weather station in northern Alaska recording a bone chilling minus 11 degrees Fahrenheit Thursday night, October 15. The reading marks the first double digit below zero temperature of the season reported for northern Alaska by the National Weather Service in Fairbanks.
According to the National Weather Service, the University of Alaska Fairbanks' Toolik Field Station recorded the temperature after sunset Thursday, with conditions turning even colder as wind chills dropped to approximately minus 25 degrees.
The reading was documented by 11 p.m. Thursday at the Arctic research facility near Toolik Lake, along the Dalton Highway in Alaska's North Slope region.
The temperature plunged to 43 degrees below the freezing point of water , highlighting how quickly winter conditions can intensify across the Arctic even while much of the continental United States is experiencing autumn weather.
Toolik Field Station is located near Mile 284.5 of the Dalton Highway, approximately 270 miles north of Fairbanks and 115 miles south of Prudhoe Bay and Deadhorse.
The remote station sits in the northern foothills of the Brooks Range and serves as an important research center for scientists studying Arctic climate, tundra ecosystems and wildlife.
While subzero temperatures are a regular feature of Alaska's winter climate, the first double digit below zero reading is a notable seasonal milestone.
The National Weather Service's announcement specifically identifies the milestone for northern Alaska. It does not establish that Thursday was the first subzero day anywhere in the United States this year.
With the Arctic cold season underway, residents and travelers across northern Alaska should remain mindful of rapidly changing temperatures and dangerous wind chills.
The latest Alaska weather forecasts and advisories are available through the National Weather Service at weather.gov/afg.