North Pole

This winter large numbers of redpolls have been observed at bird feeders, from Fairbanks to Anchorage. ADFG reports that mass mortality events of redpolls have also been observed. ADFG advises homeowners not to handle dead or sick birds, and to prevent pets from coming in contact with them. Bird illness may be caused by a bacteria that could also affect people and pets.

Invasive elodea decade history in the Chena slough with mitigation and persistent infestation.

Elodea found on and near Eielson Airforce Base

Invasive Elodea has been observed since 2020.

Shifting seasons and hotter temperatures could allow Alaska farmers to grow more abundant and diverse produce. But climate change can also bring drought, pests and permafrost thaw.  Human-caused climate change is bringing longer and warmer growing seasons, but also pests and unstable weather.

Autumn colors have been quite delayed this year, maybe ten days to two weeks later than "usual"

Elodea was first observed in Harding Lake in 2020 growing in isolated patches and has since been assessed and managed by the Fairbanks Soil and Water Conservation District and its partners.

These lakes form because warm temperatures in the Arctic are melting the permafrost.

There were 4,500 lightning strikes in Alaska Tuesday — the latest in a run of days with thousands of ground strikes. There were also another 13 new, primarily lightning sparked wildfires in the state Tuesday, mostly in the Interior. The lightning storms have coincided with very dry conditions.

Our Mosquito Magnet trap filled in under a week. We normally empty it once a month or so.

The Yukon, Tanana, Koyukuk, Kuskokwim and Susitna basins all have more snowpack than usual — and some are well above normal.

Department of Transportation crews are battling a thick coating of ice on roads, and the local utility, Golden Valley Electric, continues working to restore electricity to pockets of customers.

“We’re dropping in elevation because we live on ice cubes,” says a scientist trying to map permafrost.

European Honey Bee a.k.a Western Honey Bee (apis mellifera) spotted with 2 feet of snow still on the ground.

Scattered power outages were reported this morning, and as the wind began picking up early this afternoon, more are expected. As of 9 a.m., unofficial measurements showed more than 19 inches of snow on Old Murphy Dome Road, 14 inches in Goldstream and almost a foot in Two Rivers. The official measurement on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus was 12.4 inches.

A total of 14.7 inches of snow fell between 8 p.m. Thursday and 8 p.m. Friday, barely eclipsing the previous record for the date of 14.6 inches, set in 1970.

The novel virus has only affected two people, both in Fairbanks. The "Alaskapox" was first identified in 2015 after a Fairbanks woman sought medical attention for a small skin lesion, pained fever and fatigue. In August, a second Fairbanks woman with no known connection to the first was found to have the virus. Scientists suspect both women may have gotten the virus from contact with small wild animals.

Wild roses typically bloom in June and July, and go dormant when temperatures drop in the fall and winter.

Wild roses usually bloom in May and June, but warm fall temperatures may have signaled roses in Fairbanks to bloom later than usual.

That it’s been a rainy spring and summer is news to no one. But just how wet have the past 12 months been for Fairbanks? According to data compiled by