AKZ222-041245-
Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
334 AM AKST Thu Feb 2 2017
...MONTHLY WEATHER SUMMARY FOR JANUARY FOR FAIRBANKS ALASKA...
January 2017 much like December 2016 was colder and snowier than
average with brutal cold experienced during the second and third
weeks of the month.
A very cold airmass moved over the interior during the second week
of the month however Fairbanks experienced mostly cloudy skies
which moderated the temperatures but as skies cleared on the 17th
and 18th temperatures plummeted. Fairbanks experienced its first
40 below day since Feb 7th 2015 when the temperature dropped to 47
below on the 17th. The temperature continued to drop on the 18th
when the temperature dropped to 51 below at the Fairbanks
International Airport. This was the first 50 below or colder day
since January 29th 2012. The high temperature on the 18th reached
only 41 below. 51 below on the 18th was the coldest day during
the month of January and is also the coldest temperature recorded
so far this cold season. There have been three days so far this
cold season where the temperature has reached 40 below or colder
at the airport all of which occurred in January. The temperature
will typically drop to 40 below or colder on 11 or 12 days each
cold season at the Fairbanks Airport.
The average maximum temperature was 0.5 degrees above which was
0.6 degrees below the normal maximum temperature of 1.1 degrees
above which ranks as the 50th warmest of 109 years of record. The
average minimum temperature was 19.4 degrees below which was 2.5
degrees below the normal minimum temperature of 16.9 degrees
below which ranked as the 50th coldest of 110 years of record.
The average mean temperature was 9.5 below which was 1.6 degrees
below the normal mean of 7.9 degrees below which ranked as the
54th coldest of 109 years of record.
Seventeen inches of snow fell during January at the Fairbanks
Airport which was 6.7 inches above the normal January snowfall of
10.3 inches and ranked as the 20th snowiest of 107 years of
record. The seventeen inches of snow melted down to 0.96 inches of
precipitation which was 0.38 inches above the normal precipitation
of 0.58 inches and ranked as the 20th wettest of 106 years of
record. Season to date snowfall at the Fairbanks Airport as of
the 1st of February is now 55.1 inches which is 6.9 inches more
than the expected season to date snowfall total of 48.2 inches.
Looking forward to February the climatologically coldest part of
the winter is now behind us and available day light continues to
increase at nearly seven minutes per day. A noticeable diurnal
temperature range will again be felt especially by the end of the
month. The average maximum temperature at the Fairbanks Airport
increases from 3 degrees above on the 1st to 17 degrees above on
the 28th. The average minimum temperature increases from 16
degrees below on the 1st to 10 degrees below on the 28th.
Temperatures in February have ranged from 50 above in 1943 to 58
below in 1947 and most recently in 1993. The normal precipitation
for February is 0.42 inches. The average snowfall in February is
8.1 inches. Available sunshine increases from 7 hours and zero
minutes on the 1st to 10 hours and 4 minutes on the 28th.
The outlook for Fairbanks for February from the Climate Prediction
Center calls for equal chances for below, near normal, or above
normal temperatures and equal chances for below, near normal, or
above normal precipitation.
Observed last month...01/2017
OBSERVED RANK
Avg max temp (F) 0.5 50th warmest of 109 years
Avg min temp (F) -19.4 50th coldest of 110 years
Avg temp (F) -9.5 54th coldest of 109 years
Total precip (in) 0.96 20th wettest of 106 years
Total snow (in) 17.00 20th snowiest of 107 years
$$
CCC
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