Fairbanks Today, Tuesday, October 20, 2026
Aurora tonight
NOAA has the Kp topping out at 3.67 around 7 PM, then easing to 3.00 by 10 PM and dropping into the mid 2s after midnight. That would be a decent night for Fairbanks, which sits right under the oval, if we could see the sky. We probably can't. Snow is in the forecast all day and through tonight, so the clouds will likely win this one.
Kp by start time (AK): 7 PM 3.67, 10 PM 3.00, 1 AM 2.67, 4 AM 2.33.
Source: NOAA SWPC Kp forecast (issued 2026 Oct 20 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 20, 5:03 AM)
- $4.79 at Fred Meyer, 930 Old Steese Hwy, Fairbanks (Oct 19, 7:27 PM)
- $4.79 at Fred Meyer, 3755 Airport Way, Fairbanks (Oct 17, 9:51 PM)
Speedway Express on College Rd and Safeway on Airport Way were both at $4.81. 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: Snow today with a high near 32°F and 3 to 5 inches possible. It keeps snowing tonight, with a low around 22°F, a west wind 5 to 10 mph, and another 2 to 4 inches possible. Wednesday has a slight chance of snow before 10 AM, then mostly cloudy with a high near 28°F.
North Pole: Snow today with a high near 32°F and 3 to 7 inches possible. Snow again tonight, low around 22°F, with 3 to 5 more inches possible. Wednesday has a chance of snow before 10 AM, then cloudy with a high near 28°F.
Add it up and Fairbanks could have 5 to 9 inches on the ground by Wednesday morning, and North Pole 6 to 12. Give yourself extra time on the roads today, and expect the plows to be busy.
Source: National Weather Service, Fairbanks office.
Getting ready for winter
With this much snow coming, it is a good morning to find the shovel and make sure the block heater cord still works before tonight's 22°F. If you would rather not dig out the driveway yourself, 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 leave a pile at the end of the driveway. Get bids here.
And when all that snow starts getting tracked in onto the carpet, The Alaska Cleaning Company handles carpet and house cleaning around Fairbanks and North Pole.
Painting: Good Hand Co.