In the course of a couple days in Fairbanks, stunning light pillars were visible, followed by a rare red aurora.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Warm temperatures and rain have created hazardous road conditions in Fairbanks, leading to collisions and travel disruptions.

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.

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

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.

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

A close look at this fallen spruce tree raises questions underlying causes and tree health.

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.