Anchorage vs Fairbanks: Weather & Climate Compared
🇺🇸 Anchorage, United States · 🇺🇸 Fairbanks, United States
Warmer overall
Anchorage
Sunnier
Fairbanks
More rainy days
Anchorage
Anchorage vs Fairbanks weather right now
At this moment, Anchorage is the warmer of the two by 0°F (0°C).
The short answer
Across the year, Anchorage is the warmer of the two: its annual average of 38°F (3°C) beats Fairbanks's 31°F (0°C) by roughly 6.5°F (3.6°C).
Head to head
- Sunshine: Fairbanks collects 7.5 hours of daily sun across the year; Anchorage manages 7.1.
- Rain: umbrellas get more use in Anchorage - about 148 wet days a year versus 99 in Fairbanks.
- Snow: Anchorage is the snowy one, averaging about 50 snow days a year.
- Peak heat: the hottest stretch lands in July for Anchorage (67°F (20°C)) and July for Fairbanks (71°F (22°C)).
- Coldest nights: January lows of 12°F (-11°C) in Anchorage; January lows of -7°F (-22°C) in Fairbanks.
Anchorage vs Fairbanks month by month
| Month | Anchorage high / low | Fairbanks high / low | Anchorage rain days | Fairbanks rain days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 21° / 12° | 5° / -7° | 11 | 5 |
| February | 25° / 15° | 13° / -2° | 12 | 6 |
| March | 33° / 19° | 26° / 7° | 9 | 5 |
| April | 45° / 28° | 43° / 23° | 8 | 5 |
| May | 56° / 40° | 60° / 40° | 12 | 8 |
| June | 65° / 50° | 70° / 52° | 10 | 10 |
| July | 67° / 54° | 71° / 55° | 12 | 12 |
| August | 64° / 52° | 64° / 50° | 16 | 15 |
| September | 55° / 44° | 53° / 40° | 17 | 11 |
| October | 43° / 33° | 36° / 26° | 14 | 7 |
| November | 28° / 19° | 17° / 6° | 12 | 8 |
| December | 24° / 14° | 9° / -3° | 14 | 7 |
Who's warmer, month by month?
The lead changes hands with the seasons: Anchorage is the warmer city for 9 months of the year (January through December broadly), while Fairbanks takes over for the remaining 3. The starkest contrast comes in January, when Anchorage runs about 17°F (9°C) warmer; August is the great equalizer.
Sunshine, daylight and rain chance
| Month | Anchorage sun | Fairbanks sun | Anchorage daylight | Fairbanks daylight | Anchorage wet-day chance | Fairbanks wet-day chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 2.8 h | 2.5 h | 6.3 h | 5.0 h | 35% | 15% |
| February | 4.5 h | 4.9 h | 8.9 h | 8.3 h | 42% | 23% |
| March | 7.5 h | 8.0 h | 11.5 h | 11.5 h | 30% | 15% |
| April | 10.0 h | 11.5 h | 14.6 h | 15.0 h | 28% | 17% |
| May | 11.3 h | 13.4 h | 17.4 h | 18.6 h | 38% | 24% |
| June | 12.6 h | 14.5 h | 19.3 h | 21.7 h | 32% | 33% |
| July | 10.8 h | 11.8 h | 18.5 h | 20.1 h | 40% | 39% |
| August | 8.8 h | 7.8 h | 15.8 h | 16.5 h | 51% | 49% |
| September | 6.8 h | 7.0 h | 12.8 h | 12.9 h | 56% | 36% |
| October | 5.0 h | 4.9 h | 9.9 h | 9.5 h | 45% | 24% |
| November | 3.3 h | 2.5 h | 7.1 h | 6.0 h | 42% | 26% |
| December | 1.5 h | 1.1 h | 5.5 h | 3.8 h | 45% | 22% |
Seasons compared
| Months | Anchorage high / low | Fairbanks high / low | Anchorage rain days | Fairbanks rain days | Anchorage sun | Fairbanks sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December - February | 23° / 14° | 9° / -4° | 37 | 18 | 2.9 h | 2.8 h |
| March - May | 45° / 29° | 43° / 23° | 30 | 17 | 9.6 h | 11.0 h |
| June - August | 66° / 52° | 68° / 52° | 38 | 37 | 10.7 h | 11.4 h |
| September - November | 42° / 32° | 35° / 24° | 43 | 26 | 5.0 h | 4.8 h |
Best months for sightseeing
Counting months with average highs between 64°F and 82°F (18-28°C) and fewer than 12 wet days:
- Anchorage: June (1 month)
- Fairbanks: June (1 month)
Both cities are at their most comfortable in June, the easiest window for a trip that takes in both.
Records, distance and time difference
- Anchorage records (2015-2024): high of 90° in July, low of -20° in February.
- Fairbanks records (2015-2024): high of 90° in June, low of -52° in January.
- Distance: Anchorage and Fairbanks are about 259 miles (417 km) apart as the crow flies.
- Time difference: the two cities share the same local time right now.
Anchorage vs Fairbanks: quick answers
Is Anchorage warmer than Fairbanks?
Yes - Anchorage is warmer on annual average by about 6.5°F (3.6°C). The month-by-month table shows where the gap widens.
Which city is sunnier, Anchorage or Fairbanks?
Fairbanks takes it: 7.5 sun hours a day averaged across the year, versus 7.1 for Anchorage.
Which city gets more rain?
Anchorage is the wetter city, logging about 148 rain days annually to Fairbanks's 99.
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