Alaska town sees first sunrise in 66 days on Tuesday
Sunrise happened at 1:09 p.m. local time on Tuesday, but the Sun wasn't up for long. Sunset was about one hour later, at 2:09 p.m. The length of daylight will increase through the spring until it's light for 24 hours a day during the midnight sun in the summer.
Alaska town sees first sunrise in over 2 months
Utqiaġvik, Alaska had it's first sunrise of 2024 on Tuesday after 66 days of darkness.
UTQIAGVIK, Alaska – Alaskans in Utqiaġvik saw their first sunrise of 2024 on Tuesday after 66 days of darkness.
Utqiaġvik is located within the Arctic Circle and was previously called Barrow, but the town changed its name back to a traditional Alaska native name nearly a decade ago.
HOW DO ALASKANS COPE WITH NEARLY ALL-DAY DARKNESS IN WINTER, ALL-NIGHT DAYLIGHT IN SUMMER?
The sun set 66 days ago on Nov. 18, beginning the polar night for the town 500 miles north of Fairbanks.
The location of Utqiaġvik, Alaska, within the Arctic Circle.
(FOX Weather)
Sunrise happened at 1:09 p.m. local time on Tuesday, but the Sun wasn't up for long. Sunset was about one hour later, at 2:09 p.m. The length of daylight will increase through the spring until it's light for 24 hours a day during the midnight sun in the summer.
Tuesday's forecast in Utqiaġvik didn't benefit from an hour of sunlight.
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)
(Getty Images)
Temperatures were falling through the negative teens throughout the day. The National Weather Service in Fairbanks issued a Winter Weather Advisory for the Arctic Coast, including Utqiaġvik, that continues through Wednesday morning.
2023 ARCTIC SUMMER WAS WARMEST ON RECORD, SCIENTISTS SAY
The NWS said snow and blowing snow with accumulations up to 1 inch were possible, with wind gusts up to 40 mph.
Farther east on the Arctic Coast, a Blizzard Warning is in effect through Wednesday.