Alaska Climate Research Center

The Alaska State Climate Center
The Alaska State Climate Center
The Alaska State Climate Center
Home > City Summaries > Fairbanks October 2012

Fairbanks October 2012


Highlights

In Fairbanks the average temperature for October was 22.5°F, 1.7°F below the long-term mean. The lowest temperature for the month was -11°F on the 24th, while the highest temperature was a balmy 61°F on the 4th. Temperatures started out warm for the first third of the month, and afterwards tended to be on the cold side after that. No new record temperature events were recorded.

Breaking the trend for the last three months, precipitation was above normal in October, with a total of 1.40", 0.57" above the expected value of 0.83". Nearly half of the monthly precipitation was observed from the 6th to the 8th. On the 7th, the total of 0.21" tied the record for that day set in 1989. Then the next day the total of 0.55" set a new record precipitation. The old record from 1974 had been 0.28". Snowfall totaled 7.1" for the month, 3.7" below normal. Only 35% of the total precipitation fell as snow. The mean wind speed was 2.9 mph, with a maximum gust of 28 mph on the 31st, blowing from an easterly direction.