Highlights

In Fairbanks the average temperature was 48.9°F, a substantial 4.0°F above the long term mean for September. The high temperature for the month was 72°F on the 5th and 13th, while the lowest temperature of 28°F was observed on the 30th of the month. The 26th was the first day of the month where the temperature dropped below the freezing point, ending the growing season. Even though this is not a new record, it continues the trend of later frosts in fall. The mean annual temperature of Fairbanks has increased 2.5°F over the last century, a substantial value and about twice the global mean increase, however, even more impressive is the change in the duration of the frost-free season which increased by 45% over the same time frame. Precipitation in September was 0.65", 41% below the expected value. The combination of warm temperatures and below normal precipitation made for a pleasurable month. Wind speed averaged 3.6 mph and the highest gust was 26 mph on the 19th. No new temperature or precipitation records were observed.