Ester

Fairbanks finally got its first freezing temperature at 4 a.m. Saturday, setting the record for the latest frost, according to the National Weather Service in Fairbanks.

Alaska Fish and Game officials are searching for a rare, potentially rabid wolf that unexpectedly attacked two people on the Dalton Highway.

A close look at this fallen spruce tree raises questions underlying causes and tree health.

A rare phenomenon of gnat larvae forming snake-like processions has been observed again in Interior Alaska, raising questions about their behavior and species classification.

A fast-moving wildfire near Elliot Highway in Fairbanks, Alaska, has led to a Level 3 evacuation order for residents, with the fire rapidly growing to over a thousand acres.

A series of observations indicate changing moose behaviors and migration patterns in the interior, with increased sightings in unusual locations and times of the year, potentially linked to climate change and habitat alterations.

This winter large numbers of redpolls have been observed at bird feeders, from Fairbanks to Anchorage. ADFG reports that mass mortality events of redpolls have also been observed. ADFG advises homeowners not to handle dead or sick birds, and to prevent pets from coming in contact with them. Bird illness may be caused by a bacteria that could also affect people and pets.

Invasive elodea decade history in the Chena slough with mitigation and persistent infestation.

Invasive Elodea has been observed since 2020.

Shifting seasons and hotter temperatures could allow Alaska farmers to grow more abundant and diverse produce. But climate change can also bring drought, pests and permafrost thaw.  Human-caused climate change is bringing longer and warmer growing seasons, but also pests and unstable weather.

Autumn colors have been quite delayed this year, maybe ten days to two weeks later than "usual"

These lakes form because warm temperatures in the Arctic are melting the permafrost.

There were 4,500 lightning strikes in Alaska Tuesday — the latest in a run of days with thousands of ground strikes. There were also another 13 new, primarily lightning sparked wildfires in the state Tuesday, mostly in the Interior. The lightning storms have coincided with very dry conditions.

Our Mosquito Magnet trap filled in under a week. We normally empty it once a month or so.

The Yukon, Tanana, Koyukuk, Kuskokwim and Susitna basins all have more snowpack than usual — and some are well above normal.

Department of Transportation crews are battling a thick coating of ice on roads, and the local utility, Golden Valley Electric, continues working to restore electricity to pockets of customers.

“We’re dropping in elevation because we live on ice cubes,” says a scientist trying to map permafrost.

European Honey Bee a.k.a Western Honey Bee (apis mellifera) spotted with 2 feet of snow still on the ground.

Scattered power outages were reported this morning, and as the wind began picking up early this afternoon, more are expected. As of 9 a.m., unofficial measurements showed more than 19 inches of snow on Old Murphy Dome Road, 14 inches in Goldstream and almost a foot in Two Rivers. The official measurement on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus was 12.4 inches.

A total of 14.7 inches of snow fell between 8 p.m. Thursday and 8 p.m. Friday, barely eclipsing the previous record for the date of 14.6 inches, set in 1970.