Fairbanks Today, Sunday, October 18, 2026
Aurora tonight
NOAA has the Kp at 2.00 early this evening, dipping to 1.33 around 10 PM, then climbing back to 2.00 after 1 AM and topping out at 2.33 in the 4 AM stretch before sunrise Monday. That's a low night on paper, but Fairbanks sits right under the oval, so even a Kp of 2 can put a band overhead if the sky cooperates. The catch is the forecast calls for mostly cloudy skies tonight, so look for breaks in the clouds.
Kp by start time (AK): 7 PM 2.00, 10 PM 1.33, 1 AM 2.00, 4 AM 2.33.
Source: NOAA SWPC Kp forecast (issued 2026 Oct 18 1230 UTC). The UAF Geophysical Institute aurora forecast is good too.
Gas prices
The four cheapest prices people have reported so far:
- $4.53 cash at Airport Gas & Oil, 4480 Dale Rd, Fairbanks (Oct 17, 2:08 PM)
- $4.65 at Costco, 48 College Rd, Fairbanks (Oct 18, 6:03 AM)
- $4.77 at Safeway, 500 Old Steese Hwy, Fairbanks (Oct 16, 1:38 PM)
- $4.79 at Fred Meyer, 3755 Airport Way, Fairbanks (Oct 17, 9:51 PM)
The Fred Meyer on Old Steese and the Speedway Express on College Rd were also at $4.79. Out in North Pole, the best report is $4.83 at Speedway Express, 3392 Badger Rd (Oct 17, 3:06 PM).
These come from the Webcenter Fairbanks Gas Tracker, which uses GasBuddy user reports. Prices move during the day.
Weather
Fairbanks: Partly sunny today with a high near 31°F and calm wind. Tonight turns mostly cloudy with a low around 21°F. Monday looks mostly cloudy with light snow likely after 1 PM, a high near 38°F, and less than an inch of new snow.
North Pole: Partly sunny today, high near 31°F. Partly cloudy tonight with a low around 21°F. Monday brings a good chance of light snow after 1 PM, a high near 38°F, and under half an inch.
A quieter Sunday with a little sun. It stays below freezing all day, so any packed snow or ice on the roads won't soften up, especially in shaded spots and parking lots.
Source: National Weather Service, Fairbanks office.
Getting ready for winter
With more snow coming Monday afternoon, today is a good day to make sure the shovel, the sand bucket, and the block heater cord are where you can grab them. If you'd rather not clear the driveway yourself this 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 the snow season is already showing up on your entryway carpet, The Alaska Cleaning Company handles carpet and house cleaning around Fairbanks and North Pole.
Painting: Good Hand Co.