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The LEO Network is a worldwide network of observers and experts that share their observations of environmental change.
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Observations

As the dark season settled in, a unique parade of light appeared in Interior Alaska
In the course of a couple days in Fairbanks, stunning light pillars were visible, followed by a rare red aurora.
Fairbanks, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Even scientists who’ve studied the aurora for decades say this solar storm is special
A rare series of powerful X-class solar flares and “cannibal” coronal mass ejections produced vivid auroras visible as far south as the Florida Panhandle, with UAF scientists calling it one of the most significant events in years. The storm briefly disrupted monitoring systems and could generate more auroras for days.
Fairbanks, Alaska, United States
KUAC.org

An extended fall reveals the existence of hair ice in Interior Alaska
Photos from Fairbanks show delicate “hair ice” forming on dead wood during an extended snow-free cold spell. Researchers link the phenomenon to the fungus Exidiopsis effusa, which enables hairlike ice strands to grow in humid, slightly subfreezing conditions.
Fairbanks, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Fairbanks sets rainfall record as rivers rise across the Interior
Fairbanks received 1.52 inches of rain in three days, setting a daily record on Aug. 24 and pushing area rivers toward crests early this week. The National Weather Service expects additional rain later in the week, with officials urging residents to prepare for high water.
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

High winds knock out electric lines, tumble trees in Fairbanks
A windstorm in Fairbanks on Aug. 23, 2025 felled trees and caused widespread power outages, with more than 7,300 meters down at the peak. Crews cleared a large spruce that blocked Cushman Street and restored most electricity within a day.
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Fish and Game kills 2 Dall sheep due to likely exposure to pathogen
Alaska Fish and Game shot two young Dall sheep near Salcha after potential exposure to Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae to prevent disease spread threatening the state’s declining population.
Salcha, Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska, United States
KUAC.org

Interior wildfires burn across Parks Highway, prompt evacuations
Traffic on the Parks was limited Sunday due to the Bear Creek Fire, with about 100,000 acres burning in more than 180 fires across Alaska. Evacuation orders were issued for several nearby residential areas, including the Bear Creek and June Creek subdivisions west of the highway.
Alaska Public Media

Bear Creek and Himalaya Road Fires Temporarily Close Parks and Elliot Highways
Two Interior Alaska wildfires—the 26,000-acre Bear Creek Fire near Healy and the 3,300-acre Himalaya Road Fire north of Fairbanks—forced temporary closures of the Parks and Elliot Highways, prompted evacuations, and led to emergency animal shelter operations.
Interior Alaska, United States
KUAC.org

Fires near Fairbanks trigger evacuation orders as lightning sparks more new blazes around Alaska
Other new fires were reported near the Eureka Roadhouse along the Glenn Highway and near the Denali Park community. Forty new fires were reported Thursday.
Anchorage Daily News

Fairbanks is under a Weather Service heat advisory. That's a first for Alaska.
The National Weather Service has issued its first-ever heat advisory for Alaska, covering Fairbanks as temperatures are expected to climb into the mid-80s this weekend.

Wild Roses Blooming
Despite cooler weather in late May and early June, wild roses are blooming near Fairbanks, Alaska, only slightly later than usual, contrasting with previous observations of late blooming due to warmer temperatures.

The ‘Hole-in-the-Ground Girl’ investigates an interesting phenomenon
UAF graduate student Leanne Bulger may take an even deeper look into the mysterious hole in the ground that is likely one of many developing all over Alaska.

‘Prepared to be adaptable’: Mushers leave Fairbanks to officially launch a historic 53rd Iditarod
The Iditarod Trail Committee announced that poor snow conditions made the traditional southern route untenable, forcing organizers to move the start nearly 300 miles north, from Willow to Fairbanks. The novel 1,128-mile route passes through Interior Alaska with a loop on the Yukon River. “We are all rookies,” Big Lake musher Nicolas Petit joked.

Rain leads to hazardous road conditions across Fairbanks
Warm temperatures and rain have created hazardous road conditions in Fairbanks, leading to collisions and travel disruptions.
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Self-sustaining soil cavity hole
A small soil cavity in the UAF North Campus boreal forest remains open all winter, maintaining a steady temperature and emitting high CO2 levels, which is unusual for its self-sustaining nature and potential implications for permafrost research.
Vladimir Romanovsky, Leanne Bulger, Anna Liljedahl , Alexander Kholodov

Snowfall causes significant power outages, most are now restored
A heavy snowfall led to power outages affecting about 3,500 homes in the Fairbanks North Star Borough, though most have now been restored.

Sandhill crane straggler spotted at Creamer's Field
A lone sandhill crane has been observed staying at Creamer's Field in Fairbanks well beyond the typical migration period. The crane appears healthy but risks survival challenges due to the approaching winter.

Fish and Game searching for wolf that bit 2 people on Dalton Highway
Alaska Fish and Game officials are searching for a rare, potentially rabid wolf that unexpectedly attacked two people on the Dalton Highway.
Alaska Public Media

Snake-like procession of insect larvae spotted again in Interior Alaska
A rare phenomenon of gnat larvae forming snake-like processions has been observed again in Interior Alaska, raising questions about their behavior and species classification.
Alaska Public Media

Wildfire near Elliot Highway prompts 'Go' evacuation order
A fast-moving wildfire near Elliot Highway in Fairbanks, Alaska, has led to a Level 3 evacuation order for residents, with the fire rapidly growing to over a thousand acres.

Late to see moose along Richardson Highway
A series of observations indicate changing moose behaviors and migration patterns in the interior, with increased sightings in unusual locations and times of the year, potentially linked to climate change and habitat alterations.
North Pole, Alaska, United States

Huge Numbers of Redpolls
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.
Fox, Alaska, United States
Caroline Van Hemert, Gemini , Sarah Yoder, Kimberlee Beckmen, Richard L Thoman Jr, Louisa Castrodale

2 found dead in vehicle on Steese Highway near Eagle Summit
Two individuals were found deceased in a vehicle on Steese Highway, with recovery delayed by severe weather; no foul play is suspected.
Steese Highway, Alaska, United States

Invasive Elodea in Piledriver Slough
Invasive Elodea has been observed since 2020.
Moose Creek, Alaska, United States

Invasive Elodea in 28 Mile Pit
Elodea found on and near Eielson Airforce Base
Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, United States

Invasive Elodea in Chena Slough
Invasive elodea decade history in the Chena slough with mitigation and persistent infestation.
North Pole, Alaska, United States

Later frosts could make new crops possible in Alaska, but climate change brings challenges, too
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.
KTOO

Very Late Foliage
Autumn colors have been quite delayed this year, maybe ten days to two weeks later than "usual"
Fox, Alaska, United States

Alaska's newest lakes are belching methane
Permafrost is ground that stays frozen year round; the permafrost in interior Alaska also has massive wedges of actual ice locked within the frozen ground. When that ice melts, the ground surface collapses and forms a sinkhole that can fill with water. Thus, a thermokarst lake is born. At first glance, Big Trail looks like any lake. But look closer and there's something disturbing the surface: bubbles.
Phys.org

Hunters seeing lower quotas for Fortymile, Nelchina caribou herds
08-03-22 In response to declining numbers of Fortymile and Nelchina caribou, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game is taking a more conservative approach to both harvests this fall.

Thousands of lightning strikes and another 13 fires recorded as Alaska's intense fire season continues
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.

Heavy snowpack in several Alaska river basins raises concerns of possible spring flooding
The Yukon, Tanana, Koyukuk, Kuskokwim and Susitna basins all have more snowpack than usual — and some are well above normal.

Fairbanks is riding a weather roller coaster, from freezing rain to snow and frigid cold
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.

Evacuation order issued for Chena Hot Springs area as wildfire grows to nearly 20,000 acres
As of Monday evening, no structures had been damaged in the Munson Creek Fire, which was less than a half mile from the popular resort.
Pleasant Valley, Alaska, United States

Bees emerging in Fairbanks
European Honey Bee a.k.a Western Honey Bee (apis mellifera) spotted with 2 feet of snow still on the ground.
College, Alaska, United States
Katie Spellman, Ian Williams, Chyna Williams

Fairbanks Borough schools closed Monday as region digs out from storm
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.

Fairbanks sets snowfall record, braces for second winter storm
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.

Scientists suspect "Alaskapox" rash could be spread from small animals
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.

Fairbanks North Star Borough sees rainiest 12-month period on record
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

Early Ripe Blueberries
Moose Mountain, Fairbanks, AK

Blueberries (Vaccinium uliginosum) at 60-mile Steese
These berries were on a south slope in a recently burned area. Seems early to me!
Pleasant Valley, Alaska, United States

Extremely Wet June
Fairbanks summers are trending toward more precipitation. June 2020 set two rainfall records for the Fairbanks area.

Birch pollen count breaks 'world record' in Fairbanks
After a cold winter and spring, high temperatures around the Interior prompted birch tree buds to burst, sending record-setting levels of pollen into the air.

Minor flooding reported on Chena, Salcha rivers
According to the Weather Service, the Chena River is at 25 feet around Chena Lakes and 21.4 feet at the Mile 40 Bridge near Two Rivers.

After long, cold winter, Interior summer heat begins with near-record temperatures, flooding
Fairbanks' May 10 temperature was two degrees below the daily record, while snow melt from an above-normal year is flooding Interior rivers.

Decrease in Mosquitoes
Mosquito populations have decreased in some areas, perhaps due to changes in the surrounding vegetation or weather.

Late Bloomers - Highbush Cranberry (Viburnum edule) Blooming Late August
During a summer of unusually warm temperatures, highbush cranberries (*Viburnum edule*) are blooming, using buds that would have normally bloomed next spring.
College, Alaska, United States

Honeybees are dying; beekeepers suspect pesticides are to blame
Local beekeepers suspect pesticides used for controlling mosquitoes may be the cause.

Air quality plummets as wildfire smoke hits Alaska's most populous cities
Smoke and soot from central Alaska wildfires have afflicted the subarctic city of Fairbanks with some of the world's worst air pollution in recent days, forcing many residents indoors and prompting one hospital to set up a "clean air shelter."
Reuters

Early Robin (Turdus migratorius) Sighting in Fairbanks
This morning I heard and saw a robin in Fairbanks right near the fairgrounds. I have lived in Fairbanks for more than 30 years and have never seen a robin this early!
College, Alaska, United States

Record Temps in Goldstream
Warm temperatures are rapidly melting snow and creating ice, which creates difficult conditions for dog mushers. Migratory birds are arriving early, and a mosquito emerged months early. Small owls dead around the Goldstream Valley that looked unusually thin.

Warmest March
Warm air temperatures have melted the snow, leaving the soil without the insulation that snowcover usually provides.
Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, United States

Large Number of Redpolls (Acanthis)
Fox, Alaska, United States

Invasion of redpolls sends seeds flying
After a record-low last winter, the birds are making a comeback. Redpolls, seen in two varieties in Alaska — the common and the hoary — have attracted scientists’ attention because the birds survive super-cold temperatures. Physiologist Laurence Irving ranked redpolls’ feathers just behind pine grosbeaks for “apparent usefulness for insulation.”Redpolls have a secret weapon other small birds, including chickadees, don’t possess: food pouches on each side of their necks.

Fairbanks snowpack thin in least-snowy year since 1926
The Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy calculated that, as of Wednesday, a total of 0.7 inches of snow had fallen at Fairbanks International Airport, making this the least snowy year here since 1926.

Coyote (Canis latrans) Sighting
Uncommon coyote sighting in the Interior.

Possible green Halloween on the horizon in Fairbanks
With Halloween just over a week out, Fairbanks is looking at the potential of a third straight year with minimal snow cover, and a possible first ever green Halloween.

Warm early winter topples century-old records
For the first time in more than a century with no recorded snow -- not even a trace -- this late in October, as of Tuesday the 16th. On top of that, warm weather across the state is setting marks for the latest freeze date on record.
Casey Grove, Alaska Public Media - Anchorage

For methane researcher, golf course bubbles are a first
“It’s an area that I and some other colleagues have started thinking about: can you get methane forming in terrestrial environments? But it’s a very new area of science,” carbon scientist Katey Walter Anthony said.
Ravenna Koenig, Alaska's Energy Desk - Fairbanks

Late Blooming Rose (Rosa acicularis) Documented in Newspaper
Front page of the Daily News-Miner documents a late blooming rose during a colder than average August.

State reroutes Dalton Highway to protect motorists from migrating ‘blob’
Transportation engineers moved the road to avoid a giant mass of frozen debris sliding downhill.
Livengood, Alaska, United States

Suspected stolen vehicle falls through thin ice on Chena Lake
A borough employee who went to measure ice at Chena Lake got first-hand evidence that the lake ice ready for vehicles. “Lo and behold, there was a truck upside down on the bottom in about 25 feet of water,” Haas said. “No one was in it.”
Chena Lakes, Alaska, United States

Unusual Bird Sighting, Northern Shrike (Lanius excubitor)
We've seen these birds in the Fairbanks area before but neither my wife or I could recall seeing one at this time of year.

Late Bloomer-Wild Rose
An afterschool club have been monitoring rosehips and found this late-blooming flower.

Late Bloomer - Wild Rose Enjoying the Fall
Fairbanks rose bush blooming in early September, 2017.

Wildfire season living longer than usual due to hot dry weather
Hot, dry weather over the northern Interior is keeping wildfire season alive longer than normal.
White Mountains, Alaska, United States

First Ripe Blueberries (Vaccinium ovalifolium), South side of Wickersham Dome
Little early for blueberry to be ripe.
White Mountains National Recreation Area, Alaska, United States

Mule Deer Found Dead Raises Questions
Winter tick has been found in over 50 percent of the mule deer examined by wildlife officials in the Whitehorse area and is also found on moose, caribou, and elk in the Yukon
Alaska Fish and Wildlife News

State checks dead mule deer near North Pole for dreaded parasite
Alaska Department of Fish and Game seeks the public's help in determining the date that an exotic deer died near North Pole.
North Pole, Alaska, United States

Sinkhole pops up at Ft. Wainwright
A sinkhole has opened up on Ft. Wainwright in Fairbanks. The 3-foot diameter void discovered Monday near a housing unit, is suspected to be the result of thawing permafrost.

Climate Change drives early laying/hatching, but not only Temperature!
The Earth Times

Slow Fairbanks snowmelt slows Canada Geese migration
Sunshine is abundant this time of year, but cooler temperatures this week have slowed the melting of a well above normal snowpack in Fairbanks. That’s affecting migratory bird’s arrival at a local refuge.

Here’s the dirt on the melting permafrost in Fairbanks
The unexpected appearance of sinkholes or groundwater flooding is something to which residents have grown accustomed.
Arctic Deeply

Exotic ticks found on Alaska dogs, Alaskans
Ticks that infest red squirrels, snowshoe hares and a variety of birds have always been present in Alaska, but a team of biologists and veterinarians recently found five non-native ticks on Alaska dogs and people.
Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks

Ruffed Grouse
Never seen a grouse this size.

Coyotes are everywhere, even in Alaska
Department biologists do not keep track of coyote numbers, but Fairbanks-area trapper Randy Zarnke said coyotes began showing up on his trapline trails three or four years ago.

Unusual sighting: mule deer in Interior Alaska
FAIRBANKS — Michael Houx was driving Tuesday evening between Eielson Air Force Base and Salcha when he saw an animal that he at first thought was a caribou.
Salcha, Alaska, United States
FairbanksDaily News-Miner

Summer heat, invasive insects take toll on Interior Alaska birch trees
Interior Alaska’s hot and dry summer of 2013, coupled with an invasion of insect pests, has taken a steep toll on the region’s birch trees, experts say.

Birch trees and bird vetch prompt slew of questions in Interior Alaska
There has been an outbreak in Fairbanks of the amber-marked birch leaf miner (Profenusa thomsoni), an insect that came to North America in the early 1900s and arrived in Fairbanks by about 2002.
Steven Seefeldt / Cooperative Extension Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Mule deer, mountain lion sightings in Alaska
Interior residents are reporting varieties of wildlife that are new to the region, including mule deer, mountain lions and whitetail deer.
JuneauEmpire.com

Ice thickness below normal for early January while temperatures and snowfall are above normal
While ice thickness normally measures between 11 and 22 inches on local lakes and ponds, ice thickness recently ranged between 9 and 19 inches, according to the National Weather Service’s ice thickness measurements.

Fairbanks sees more than 7 feet of snow this season
Seasonal snowfall came in well above normal through the first week of March for the Fairbanks area. According to an update from the Fairbanks National Weather Service station, the season saw 91.9 inches. The majority of it comes from December storms that dropped 49.7 inches of snow on the ground.

Destructive tornadoes unheard of in Alaska, but funnel clouds occasionally form
FAIRBANKS — Alaska is a long way from Tornado Alley. Never have there been reports of tornadoes causing damage in the 49th State. But we do sporadically get a related

Trans-Alaska pipeline under threat from thawing permafrost
The slope of permafrost where an 810-foot section of pipeline is secured has started to shift as it thaws, causing several of the braces holding up the pipeline to tilt and bend, according to an analysis by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources.
High North News

Butterflies in the middle of winter and other insects in our homes
In Two Rivers,at a time when the outside air’s temperature has not been above freezing since October — three butterflies living in a heated garage.
Two Rivers, Alaska, United States

Avian flu virus found in wild duck in Fairbanks is a danger to domestic fowl
Alaska Department of Fish and Game biologists collected the sample containing Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N2 virus, or HPAI, from a mallard during a routine bird-banding activity. The HPAI virus is not considered a threat to humans, Alaska officials said.

3rd and 4th known cases of ‘Alaskapox’ — both mild — were recently diagnosed in the Fairbanks area
How the virus is contracted and how long it’s been around still remain a mystery. But researchers have found evidence in small mammals.

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