Snow is back in the forecast for Fairbanks, and this time it looks like more than a dusting.
Fairbanks snow forecast for Thursday through Saturday
Here's the quick version from the National Weather Service Fairbanks zone forecast issued this morning (Wednesday, Oct 14) for the metro area, including North Pole, Ester, Fox, and Fort Wainwright:
- Today: freezing fog early, then a high around 40.
- Thursday: a chance of rain and snow in the afternoon, high in the low 40s, low in the upper 20s.
- Friday: chance of snow and rain, high in the upper 30s, then snow chances Friday night with lows in the mid 20s.
- Saturday: cloudy with a chance of snow, high in the mid 30s.
- Sunday into Monday: highs around 30 to the mid 30s and lows dropping to around 20.
Read the full NWS Fairbanks zone forecast. Forecasts change, so check it again before the weekend.
How far behind normal is Fairbanks snowfall?
Pretty far. According to SnowDates, which pulls NOAA records from Fairbanks International Airport, the only measurable snow this season was 0.1 inch on Oct 1. By this point an average winter has brought about 3.7 inches, so we're running roughly 3.6 inches behind. For comparison, last winter finished at 99 inches. Nobody's asking for a repeat, but the snow is coming one way or another.
Get your driveway and yard ready before the snow sticks
Our take: the first snow that stays is the one that sets up the whole winter. If it lands on a lumpy, cluttered driveway and gets packed down by tires, you're chipping at it until April. A little prep this week goes a long way.
- Walk the driveway and pick up anything a plow or blower could catch: hoses, toys, rocks, garden edging.
- Mark the edges with driveway stakes so you (or whoever plows) can find the gravel line once it's white.
- Put away the garden hose and shut the outside spigot if you haven't yet.
- Find the shovel and the ice chipper now, not at 6 AM Friday.
- Pick a spot to pile snow that won't melt back across the driveway in spring.
- Gas up the snow blower and run it for a minute so you know it starts.
Need help with snow removal in Fairbanks or North Pole?
If you'd rather not deal with it, we can line up snow removal in Fairbanks or snow removal in North Pole so you're on someone's list before the first big storm. Later in the season, when the end of the driveway turns into a concrete wall, there's hard pack and berm removal.
Once the snow starts riding in on everyone's boots, The Alaska Cleaning Company can take care of the entryway and carpet cleanup. You can also call them at 907-341-4086.
Stay warm, and enjoy the first real snow of the year. It's still kind of magic the first time.
Painting: Good Hand Co.