Alaska Writer Endures Extreme Winter Conditions

Fairbanks sees record-breaking cold temperatures and heavy snowfall, leaving residents struggling to cope.

Mar. 14, 2026 at 1:35am

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Fairbanks, Alaska has experienced an exceptionally harsh winter in 2025-2026, with temperatures plummeting well below zero for extended periods and heavy snowfall that has tested the resilience of local residents. The writer Ned Rozell describes the challenges of living through this extreme weather, from frozen water pipes to the need to fine-tune weather stations, and provides context from climate experts on the unusual atmospheric patterns driving the extreme cold.

Why it matters

The extreme winter weather in Fairbanks highlights the increasing variability and unpredictability of climate patterns in Alaska, even as the state continues to warm at a faster rate than the rest of the world on average. This story illustrates how Alaskans are having to adapt to more frequent and severe cold snaps, which can disrupt daily life and infrastructure, despite the overall warming trend.

The details

Fairbanks has seen temperatures plummet to 30 below zero or colder on multiple occasions this winter, with the mercury dropping as low as minus 49.9 degrees Fahrenheit in early March 2026. This extended period of extreme cold has led to frozen water pipes, malfunctioning heating systems, and other infrastructure challenges for residents. The winter has also brought heavy snowfall, with over two feet of snow falling in February 2026 alone, straining roofs and requiring constant shoveling.

  • On Halloween 2025, Fairbanks air temperature was at or above 33 degrees Fahrenheit for the last time before the deep freeze set in.
  • December 2025 through January 2026 saw temperatures that did not rise above zero degrees Fahrenheit.
  • On March 10 and 11, 2026, Fairbanks recorded temperatures of minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit or colder, surpassing the previous record of 29 such days set in the winter of 1905-1906.
  • February 2026 saw a parade of storms that dumped more than two feet of snow on Fairbanks.

The players

Ned Rozell

A writer in Fairbanks, Alaska who is chronicling the extreme winter conditions in the region.

Martin Stuefer

The Alaska State Climatologist and a professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute.

Rick Thoman

A northern climate expert at the University of Alaska Fairbanks' Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Preparedness.

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What they’re saying

“The atmosphere got stuck in a pattern. A big high-pressure system sat repeatedly over the Bering Sea/northern Pacific basin, and a lower pressure over northern Canada circulated Arctic air into Alaska and Canada.”

— Martin Stuefer, Alaska State Climatologist, University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute

“At the moment, cold air is locked up in northern North America, where, unusually, from the Bering Sea to the Atlantic, most areas between 55 and 75 degrees north are colder than normal.”

— Rick Thoman, Northern Climate Expert, University of Alaska Fairbanks' Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Preparedness

What’s next

The experts claim that the extreme cold weather patterns in Fairbanks are likely to continue, but they cannot predict when the region will return to more typical winter conditions.

The takeaway

This winter's extreme cold in Fairbanks, Alaska highlights the increasing unpredictability and variability of climate patterns in the state, even as the overall long-term trend shows warming. Alaskans must continue to adapt to more frequent and severe cold snaps that disrupt daily life and infrastructure.