Fairbanks, AK Climate & Monthly Averages
The climate of Fairbanks
Seasons are the whole story in Fairbanks. The gap between an average July and an average January is 36°C - warm summers and cold, often snowy winters - which in practice means 71°F (22°C) afternoons at one end of the calendar and 5°F (-15°C) at the other.
Climate quick facts
- Hottest month: July - highs near 71°F (22°C)
- Coldest month: January - highs near 5°F (-15°C)
- Decade extremes (2015-2024): 90°F (32°C) high · -52°F (-47°C) low
- Wettest month: August (15 rainy days) · Sunniest: June (14.5 h sun/day)
- Climate type: humid continental
- Annual swing: 36°C between the average warmest and coolest month · day to night: 8°C
- Snow: about 29 days a year
- Months with freezing average lows: 7
- Average humidity: 70%
Temperatures through the year
January sits at the other end of the year: 5°F (-15°C) by day, -7°F (-22°C) at night. At its warmest, in July, Fairbanks runs to 71°F (22°C) in the afternoon and back to 55°F (13°C) by dawn. August is the wettest month at 3.6 inches (91 mm) over 15 days; January is the driest.
Rain, sun and snow
Overnight lows average at or below freezing for 7 months, October through April. June is the brightest month at 14.5 hours of sun a day, against an annual average of 7.5 - duller than all but 7% of the 3496 cities in our dataset. 4 months average under 20 mm of rain, the longest unbroken stretch running January through April. The gridded 2015-2024 daily record for this location tops out at 90°F (32°C) and bottoms at -52°F (-47°C) - decade extremes, not all-time station records.
How Fairbanks compares
- Fairbanks averages 31°F (0°C) across the year - cooler than almost every other city we track.
- Its warmest and coolest months are 36°C apart - a wider seasonal swing than any other city in our 3496-city dataset.
Ranked against every city in our dataset, each measured on the same ten-year window.
Monthly climate table
| Month | High | Low | Rain days | Precipitation | Sunshine | Daylight | Wet-day chance | Humidity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 5° | -7° | 5 | 0.6 in | 2.5 h/day | 5.0 h | 15% | 75% |
| February | 13° | -2° | 6 | 0.8 in | 4.9 h/day | 8.3 h | 23% | 74% |
| March | 26° | 7° | 5 | 0.6 in | 8.0 h/day | 11.5 h | 15% | 70% |
| April | 43° | 23° | 5 | 0.7 in | 11.5 h/day | 15.0 h | 17% | 63% |
| May | 60° | 40° | 8 | 1.2 in | 13.4 h/day | 18.6 h | 24% | 58% |
| June | 70° | 52° | 10 | 2.1 in | 14.5 h/day | 21.7 h | 33% | 58% |
| July | 71° | 55° | 12 | 3.1 in | 11.8 h/day | 20.1 h | 39% | 67% |
| August | 64° | 50° | 15 | 3.6 in | 7.8 h/day | 16.5 h | 49% | 76% |
| September | 53° | 40° | 11 | 2.1 in | 7.0 h/day | 12.9 h | 36% | 77% |
| October | 36° | 26° | 7 | 1.3 in | 4.9 h/day | 9.5 h | 24% | 73% |
| November | 17° | 6° | 8 | 1.0 in | 2.5 h/day | 6.0 h | 26% | 76% |
| December | 9° | -3° | 7 | 1.1 in | 1.1 h/day | 3.8 h | 22% | 77% |
Fairbanks month by month
Average high and low for each month, with the bar showing where it sits in Fairbanks's year (left is the coldest night, right is the warmest afternoon).
January
- Rain
- 5 days
- Sunshine
- 2.5 h
- Daylight
- 5.0 h
- Snow
- 3 days
February
- Rain
- 6 days
- Sunshine
- 4.9 h
- Daylight
- 8.3 h
- Snow
- 5 days
March
- Rain
- 5 days
- Sunshine
- 8.0 h
- Daylight
- 11.5 h
- Snow
- 3 days
April
- Rain
- 5 days
- Sunshine
- 11.5 h
- Daylight
- 15.0 h
- Snow
- 2 days
May
- Rain
- 8 days
- Sunshine
- 13.4 h
- Daylight
- 18.6 h
June
- Rain
- 10 days
- Sunshine
- 14.5 h
- Daylight
- 21.7 h
July
- Rain
- 12 days
- Sunshine
- 11.8 h
- Daylight
- 20.1 h
August
- Rain
- 15 days
- Sunshine
- 7.8 h
- Daylight
- 16.5 h
September
- Rain
- 11 days
- Sunshine
- 7.0 h
- Daylight
- 12.9 h
October
- Rain
- 7 days
- Sunshine
- 4.9 h
- Daylight
- 9.5 h
- Snow
- 3 days
November
- Rain
- 8 days
- Sunshine
- 2.5 h
- Daylight
- 6.0 h
- Snow
- 6 days
December
- Rain
- 7 days
- Sunshine
- 1.1 h
- Daylight
- 3.8 h
- Snow
- 5 days
Warmer places to go, by month: January · February · March · April · May · June · July · August · September · October · November · December
Seasons in Fairbanks
Spring (March through May)
Spring in Fairbanks is chilly, with daytime highs averaging 43°F (6°C) and nights around 23°F (-5°C); rain comes on about 17 days over the three months, plus about 6 snowy days. Daylight is generous - around 11.0 hours of sun a day.
Summer (June through August)
Summer is mild and warm here - highs near 68°F (20°C), nights near 52°F (11°C), and rain falls on around 37 of the 90 days. Daylight is generous - around 11.4 hours of sun a day.
Fall (September through November)
Through fall, Fairbanks is frigid: 35°F (2°C) by day, 24°F (-4°C) after dark, and expect showers on roughly 26 days across the season, plus about 9 snowy days. Wind sharpens cold like this considerably; pair the forecast winds with the wind speed converter to judge exposed conditions.
Winter (December through February)
Winter in Fairbanks is bitterly cold, with daytime highs averaging 9°F (-13°C) and nights around -4°F (-20°C); expect showers on roughly 18 days across the season, plus about 14 snowy days. Sun is scarce, averaging 2.8 hours a day.
Climate questions, answered
Is Fairbanks humid?
How hot does Fairbanks get in summer?
How sunny is Fairbanks?
How many rainy days does Fairbanks get in a year?
How cold does Fairbanks get in winter?
When is the dry season in Fairbanks?
Best time to visit Fairbanks
May to September is the sweet spot for Fairbanks - these are the warmest and brightest weeks of the year. Expect 64°F (18°C) in the afternoon and around 11 days of rain in a typical month of it. For the same question asked the other way round, see where else is warm in May.
Pack for Fairbanks with a heavy insulated coat, hat and gloves for winter and a compact umbrella or rain shell. Note the gap between afternoon and night: July pairs 71°F (22°C) with 55°F (13°C).
Fairbanks temperature records (2015-2024)
Derived from ERA5 reanalysis data, 2015–2024. Official station records may differ. Need the precipitation in other units? The mm-to-inches rainfall converter handles it.