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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Saturday, October 2, 2010
John Wagner/News-Miner
Paul Ransom, left, looks back to keep an eye on a sled carrying an ice auger as he and his son, Paul Ransom Jr., 11, depart from a three-hour ice fishing expedition at their usual spot on Chena Lakes on a sunny in January in North Pole.
Welcome to Fairbanks: It’s going to get cold By CHRIS FREIBERG cfreiberg@newsminer.com There’s only one definite thing a newcomer to Fairbanks can expect. “I can guarantee it’s going to get cold at some point,” said Jim Brader, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. Just how cold it will get, however, is anyone’s guess. Temperatures can swing
wildly during a Fairbanks winter, reaching 40 below zero one week and hitting 40 above the next. On average, Fairbanks sees eight days per year that are 40 below or colder. The bright side, though, is that despite the bitter cold temperatures, the wind speed only averages about 2 mph. “Walking gives you more of a wind chill than the wind,” Brader said.
The Interior also averages 70 inches of snowfall in the winter. Fairbanks was well below that average last year. The first thing a newcomer to Fairbanks will want is warm clothes to get through the winter. John Castes, a manager at Big Ray’s for 18 years who has been nicknamed “the boot guru,” recommends a good pair of boots above all else. Castes says that the ground
can feel a lot colder than the air, but if your feet are warm, the rest of you will stay a lot warmer. “If you’re going to be outside for a long period of time, you’re going to need a warmer boot,” he said, noting that the prices of a good pair range between $50 and $150. But even if you plan on staying in a nice warm car for most of your travels this winter, there are certain things to
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take into account. First of all is that if the temperature dips into single digits, it’s a good idea to plug your car in if you don’t have a heated garage to store it in. Otherwise vehicles just don’t want to start when the temperature gets below zero. Sgt. Robert Thompson of the Fairbanks police department also suggests studded tires when you hit the open road. “It’s a cheap insurance policy,” he said. Because low temperatures can hurt vehicles, it’s a good idea to always carry a charged cell phone to call for help if you get stalled. And if you’re driving out of town far from police or tow services, it’s a good idea to keep extra blankets and warm clothing in the car. “At 40 below, cars cool down real fast,” Thompson said. Contact staff writer Chris Freiberg at 459-7545.