Fairbanks Today, Saturday, October 17, 2026
Aurora tonight
NOAA has the Kp topping out at 1.67 tonight around 7 PM, then settling to 1.33 for the rest of the night. That's a low night for Fairbanks on paper, and with clouds and light snow in the forecast, odds of a good show are slim. Things were livelier over the past day, when NOAA logged a Kp as high as 4, so if the sky opens up early this evening it's still worth a quick look north.
Kp by start time (AK): 7 PM 1.67, 10 PM 1.33, 1 AM 1.33, 4 AM 1.33.
Source: NOAA SWPC Kp forecast (issued 2026 Oct 17 1230 UTC). The UAF Geophysical Institute aurora forecast is good too.
Gas prices
The four cheapest prices people have reported so far:
- $4.61 cash at Airport Gas & Oil, 4480 Dale Rd, Fairbanks (Oct 15, 4:17 PM)
- $4.65 at Costco, 48 College Rd, Fairbanks (Oct 17, 5:03 AM)
- $4.77 at Safeway, 500 Old Steese Hwy, Fairbanks (Oct 16, 1:38 PM)
- $4.79 at Fred Meyer, 930 Old Steese Hwy, Fairbanks (Oct 17, 6:28 AM)
The Fred Meyer on Airport Way and the Speedway Express on College Rd were also at $4.79. Out in North Pole, the best report is $4.86 at Riverview Quick Stop, 1316 Badger Rd (Oct 14, 4:47 PM).
These come from the Webcenter Fairbanks Gas Tracker, which uses GasBuddy user reports. Prices move during the day.
Weather
Fairbanks: Light snow likely today with a high near 36°F and less than an inch of new snow. Tonight there's a chance of light snow before 1 AM, with a low around 23°F.
North Pole: Light snow likely today, high near 35°F, with under an inch possible. Tonight a chance of snow and a low around 24°F. Sunday looks partly sunny with a high near 31°F.
It's a gray, snowy Saturday but nothing heavy. With temps dropping into the low 20s tonight, whatever melts on the roads this afternoon can freeze up after dark, so take it easy on the hills and in parking lots.
Source: National Weather Service, Fairbanks office.
Getting ready for winter
A weekend like this is a good time to get the shovel and the block heater cord out where you can find them. If you'd rather not be the one clearing the driveway all winter, we can line up someone local for snow removal in Fairbanks or snow removal in North Pole, and for hard pack and berm removal once the plows start leaving piles at the end of the driveway. Get bids here.
And if snowy boots are already leaving puddles and grit on your floors, The Alaska Cleaning Company handles carpet and house cleaning around Fairbanks and North Pole.
Painting: Good Hand Co.