Alaska town won’t see the sun for the next 64 days, as Polar Night begins
Photographer Mark Mahaney ( from California) traveled to Utqiagvik, Alaksa in 2019 to capture the final days of the season’s polar night. He documented the darkness for 12 days.
UTQIAGVIK, Alaska – Utqiagvik, Alaska has seen its last sunrise this year; America’s northernmost settlement will not see the Sun again until Jan. 22, 2026, as Polar Night begins in the Arctic Circle.
ALASKA RINGS IN THE NEW YEAR WITH FIREWORKS UNDER THE NORTHERN LIGHTS
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The sun sets beyond the frozen, snow covered Arctic Ocean in Utqiagvik, Alaska, on April 9, 2019.
(Bonnie Jo Mount/The Washington Post via Getty Images) -
FILE PHOTO: Seen from an aerial view, homes stand along the Arctic Ocean on August 10, 2023 in Utqiagvik, Alaska. Located above the Arctic Circle, Utqiagvik is the northernmost settlement in the United States. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)
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File photo: As seen from an aerial view, homes stretch along unpaved streets on August 10, 2023 in Utqiagvik, Alaska. Located above the Arctic Circle, Utqiagvik is the northernmost settlement in the United States. Formerly known as Barrow, the town of nearly 5,000 people is mostly populated by indigenous Iñupiat, but also with a growing immigrant population. Roads in the community are left mostly unpaved, due to the permafrost.
(John Moore)
Due to the tilt of the Earth’s axis, the Sun will not rise above the horizon in Utqiagvik for the next 64 days. But the Alaskan borough will not be in complete darkness and will experience a few hours of what’s known as civil twilight, which is the pale blue light normally seen before dawn.
Utqiagvik is about 500 miles northwest of Fairbanks, and is home to roughly 4,400 people, with archeological sites dating back to 500 CE, according to the city’s website.
Without the light of the Sun and daytime heating, temperatures plummet during Polar Night across the Arctic Circle.
ACTIVE END TO NOVEMBER COULD LEAD TO POTENTIAL POLAR VORTEX INFUSED COLD AND SNOW TO START DECEMBER
During Polar Night, places within the Arctic Circle, like Utqiagvik, Alaska, will not see the sun rise again until late January 2026.
(FOX Weather)
The Polar Night phenomenon also plays a role in the formation of the Polar Vortex, the area of extremely cold air in the Earth’s stratosphere.
Without sunlight, this region above the layer of atmosphere where weather occurs, the troposphere, becomes extremely cold. Although occasionally, this arctic air seeps below the stratosphere and is able to move south over the Lower 48.
Football coaches at Barrow High School, Andrew Downing and Chris Battle, join FOX Weather to share how the team handles the extreme weather conditions, located just south of the Arctic Circle, as the northernmost field in the world.
While winters in Utqiagvik feature more than 60 days of darkness, in the summer, the city experiences nearly three months of total sunlight.
In the warmer months, Utqiagvik is also home to America’s northernmost football team, during football season at Barrow High School.
ALASKA TOWN SEES LAST SUNSET UNTIL AUGUST AS 84 DAYS OF DAYLIGHT BEGINS
During a significant snowstorm or a freezing cold snap, you may hear the term “polar vortex” bandied about. FOX Weather Meteorologist Ari Sarsalari explains what exactly the polar vortex is, how it works and how it influences our weather.
The city’s next sunrise will be approximately 1:23 p.m. local time on Jan. 26, 2026.
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