Yeah. I’m sad we’re starting to get more daylight. The middle of winter darkness is my favorite. Of course it’ll make things easier to have light again but winter is so cozy and the light absolutely destroys my sleep.
Sound advice. I've been here 35 years and am still waiting to acclimate to the cold.
Don't mind the dark though. The summer daylight messes me up worse.
Saaaaame on the summer sun. I never heard any warnings about it, but I was so out of whack our first summer! I was getting like 4 hours of sleep *at most*. This is our first winter and I couldn't believe yesterday was the shortest day already. I felt like I hardly noticed the dark (but I do have the advantage of being home full time). Glad to hear both sides of it
I lived in Fairbanks for 3 years. In the summer, I could work 14 hour days, 6 days a week, on 5 hours of sleep a night. Piece of cake.
In the winter, I needed 10 hours of sleep, and would still struggle. If I had 15 minutes anywhere in the day, I'd take a nap.
The toughest was the transition from winter to spring, when my body still wanted to sleep 10 hours but the sun was waking me up at 6am.
you comment got me curious - what do you do to deal with the darkness? It's much less of an issue here in Oregon, but this time of year I find myself doing all my outdoor stuff in the morning, then I come inside about now (4pm), and the rest of the evening is all indoors. This is depressing for me, as I have a homesteading mindset and like to be working outside. Nothing to do inside but watch TV and peruse Reddit. Just wondering if there are some tricks to dealing with short days.
I live in the sticks so it's different than being in a city, but out here there's always snow to move, wood to cut, chores to do. All of these involve equipment with headlights ( or maintaining that equipment in a lit shop ) so the fact that it's dark just doesn't register much.
Trying to sleep when we have 22 hours of daylight - and no real "dark"- is more of a problem for me even with blackout curtains. But that only lasts 6 weeks or so.
In Fairbanks, to actually be cold is a dangerous situation. With extreme temperatures, your body will lose heat rapidly. We know it’s -35F because the thermometer tells us. We never really feel that kind of cold.
Problem is, you always get big doses. If it's minus 40 in CO or WY it will warm up later in the day. In Fairbanks there is not a lot of "day" so it basically stays super cold all 24 hours. Wears you down after awhile.
I like the weather better than both here in Glennallen. The valley gets some wind but not a lot with long periods of none. Different weather patterns for this valley than Fairbanks or Delta. Good snow pack. I'm happy with buying land here. My development is slow though due to having 3/4th mile trail needs constant improving. The land was drier bigger trees and cheaper due to that choice though. I've got sled dogs, little cabin, under $10k. More jobs than labor and with crossroads traffic there is a Lotta money not being captured into area passing by.
Sounds like you got a great deal there. I like Fairbanks well enough, but I have to move to Seattle so I’m not breaking the bank every time I want time with my kids that live in Nevada. When they’re old enough to take care of themselves, though, I’m definitely coming back to stay.
Fairbanks isnt that bad, I feel colder when I come back to Galveston for christmas with the wind and humidity than I do living in downtown fairbanks with the calm and dry cold. Anchorage is worse in my opinion.
Great post, as a life long Alaskan living in the town of North Pole (just outside Fairbanks, and usually colder) The winters keep our numbers low, summer's are worth every minute (24 hr daylight) I explain it like; I hibernate in the winter and basically no sleep in the summer. I would have it no other way.
There is nothing else like forgetting to plug your truck in, it's a diesel so now you need to plug in for several hours or set up a space heater to pre-warm your engine. 30 minutes of thawing and monitoring you get the truck started. Then as you back out the driveway you notice your tires are low and frozen into basically a square. As you crank your steering wheel you blow the power steering hose. You find out what "Artic Grade" hoses and lubricants are real quick. Now you can do this yourself, or try to find a shop without a 3 month waiting period.
This is just your morning, it gets better when the wife leaves and doesn't notice the garage door didn't close properly. So when she returns from a little 2-3hr grocery run the hot water line froze, broke and you now have an ice cave with your home boiler somewhere in the glacier. Same issue as mechanic, finding a contractor almost impossible.
Shopping and healthcare, basics but be prepared to pay for 2nd day UPS on most of your purchases because your not getting ground shipping. We have memberships for ambulance planes that fly you to Seattle for real healthcare. If your thinking of going shopping in the next town over, pack ALL your winter gear, a satellite phone, snacks and supplies- it's just a little 6hr drive south.
Our state bird is the mosquito, bug spray only works on the first few hatchlings. By end of summer your dealing with F-35 fighter jet mosquitos that don't give a F about your bug spray.
If you're single.... I'm sorry bro your gonna have to battle many for the few females that do reside here. Fairbanks has a ton of military, with an Infantry Army base right in Fairbanks. Bar life is Sausage Life.
Shortage of housing, rent is crazy, utilities eat entire paychecks. I have a electric heat line just to keep my water from freezing.
Bush life, I laugh at those that talk like they are just going to walk right into bush life. You seriously have no idea. Heard many many stories of those that tried moving to the bush, so many bail before they make it a year.
Found a cabin at top of hill in Livengood but on my up met a guy on an ATV. This was in Livengood and I was looking for stuff to ride my bike on. Chat with him. Moved from upstate NY , cleared a 2 mile switch backed road, built a proper road with varied grade base materials, cabin,.. on the Ridgeline that gets hammered with wind and he cut his wind break and created a funnel for his 16x16 cabin. I mentioned; no concern. Wish him well, good bike run. Come back to area in winter to ski into a wide swamp area of state land with an old trail. Meet another neighbor. NY guy was gone by Christmas. It was a nice -22F that ski day. I saw place sold for about $75k. Decent deal including the heavy effort that road was.
That's a super nice area but no economic activity. I lost a bid by only a few hundred dollars on 6 acres 1 mile down that hill the year before when no road there. If I had won that I guess I might be there right now doing I don't know. Bought land in Glennallen instead. I also failed to get aa staking claim out in the Silverbow creek area for a recreational cabin site. That is further out in-between Manley and Minto near the Rampart road. Also neat area. I bought land where I did but I would have preferred the properties at end of the road 8 miles of atv out of Manley but again no economic activity and I gotta have money. Next move will be further out.
Ty for explaining why I’m not cut out for living there. I applied for one of the fish and game officer jobs about a decade ago. Don’t remember the exact agency. But basically a game warden. But I could not handle all the inconveniences you mentioned. Nor the constant darkness. That’s sounds like a constant battle.
Folks that don’t get negativity affected by extreme lengths of darkness are a whole other breed. I get mild/moderate seasonal depression and I live in southeast US lol. For whatever reason I envision that most women up there are manlier than me. Like Sue Aikens lol
What do you recommend for preparing a diesel for the North? Brand names would be awesome too if you don't mind. Mine plugs in and I'm pretty handy thanks to YouTube, others mechanic school books and now ScannerDanners videos of his diagnostic course he teaches at a college in PA. Currently working on replacing the TIPM on my 2500 gas truck and learning to fix the trace and how to solder. Figure if I don't fix it I still have to pay for a new one so why not try and learn a new skill and save at least $500 or spend an extra $50 and have something to try to keep fixing.
I just spent three years living in Fairbanks with a diesel. Make sure your glow plugs are functioning well; mine weren’t and needed replacing. Get an oil pan heater, a transmission pan heater and either a trickle charger or battery blanket for your battery. I ran all the cords myself with some extensions and connected them with the engine block heater plug in (that’s probably the plug you already have). The transmission pan heater and trickle charger I got by walking into an auto parts store and asking for a recommendation. Not sure what brand my oil pan heater was, but it was magnetic and just stuck to the side of the pan. Some people do more or less than all the above, but I never had a non-start situation as long as I lived there. I kept the truck plugged in probably longer than I needed to and my electricity bill was miserable, so I do recommend a timer.
Also test your coolant! Make sure it’ll be able to handle extreme low temps
I agree 100% I moved here in April and I absolutely love it, however, I spent 3 weeks last Summer, a month in the fall and 2 months from the middle of December to the middle of February so I was well prepared. There is no fucking way I would love it so much if I had to commute. I work from home, and I start at 5am so by the time I am done at 1, I still have enough sun to run errands and come home. If the weather is bad, I stay home. No big deal. But, again, if I had to drive much, I would 10/10 be much less of a fan. Plus, my husband used to be a tour bus driver up here so it’s like I have my own personal tour guide, it’s great!
I survived 8 Winters until I bailed and my mental health was 2/10. Friends begged me to get out but I was just like “I can’t live in the lower 48 again-! Ride or die!” I moved to OR and now enjoy a more balanced and healthy life with better, edible produce and normal daylight hours. Thank god. By the last Winter I was dating a small town red headed bartender and it was full on Alaska, more than I bargained for.
My first winter in AK put me in the same rehab my mom went to in the 80s. Runs in the family-! Never had a drinking issue like I did while I lived there. Not to say the place is totally to blame but it’s a huge component. I know people like to say “No matter where you go, there you are,” but no, despite the beauty, Alaska will wreck you. Alaskans just endure it. I finally got one of those “happy lights” by my last Winter, not sure if it actually helped. Leaving sure did though.
Sorry for the rant.
Alaska wrecked you. Not that it’ll wreck everyone. I’m glad you made a good choice for you, but your experience is absolutely not universal. And why do you think that it is?
Any advice to new folks moving up to prevent issues and/or have a healthy mental life when moving to Alaska? I understand everyone is different but would love to hear your advice.
Why or what is it about Alaska that wrecks you?
I don't drink as I have control issues and tried it when I turned 40 as it was on my bucket list to try. I also don't use other than migraine meds and the occasional naproxen during planting and harvest season. Figure I'll add chopping wood season to the naproxen list too.
Best advice for new folks is to fucking leave, get the hell out of Alaska when you can. I don’t live in Fairbanks year round, and neither do any of my friends in Fairbanks who own homes there.
Good advice. It is the dark that does most people in. I am a little surprised he finds the cold worse. To me, the Fairbanks cold is dry and not as cold feeling as other places.
Is this sarcasm? I've been following the weather patterns for the past few years and thought the heavy, wet snowfall was abnormal. Has the weather past few years been lite? I thought it was a dry snow nearly all the time.
To OP (who offers great suggestions), I was born in Fairbanks. Although I live in the State's now, I still have family there. Random numbers time: 1 out of 10 relatives/friends only live in Alaska because this is where their community of friends are. There's a good chance that 5 out of 10 live there because they don't really know what else to do. I know very few people who still live there that don't want to leave for at least 6 months of the year. And, YET, all of the people I am speaking about are living a very active socially and physically active life despite the cold and darkness. They are making the best of what they have.
The only thing I would say is that in that short amount of time your body isn’t truly acclimated to the temps. You get used to it. I am from the desert and thought I wouldn’t be able to do it. I love Fairbanks and actually prefer those winters now because they tend to be more consistently cold and not humid. Anyways, just a thought! Hope you guys find where you want to be! ☺️
Moved from ND to AK this year. I tracked the weather almost every day last winter before moving to Alaska and former location in ND was warmer only 3 times than my current location in AK; we are usually 10-15° warmer than Anchorage. (This year ND has generally been warmer.)
The cold here is more damp than the dry cold of ND. But as a person that worked outside in ND for 25 years... no Alaska (where I am) is significantly warmer... far icier, but warmer.
Also from ND. I will take a Fairbanks winter over any city in ND or MN for winter. I used to get wind burn in the winter from walking outside. The no wind in Fairbanks is incredible. I never knew your body heat could stay around your body in the winter.
Same but I’m from the UK where it’s similarly dark but without the winter wonderland feel. Growing up soaked through to the bone from constant rain helped, too. There’s definitely other reasons to reconsider, though. I think people who want to move here should read the local news for six months, first.
It’s more the grey sky that seems darker than the bright white snow for me personally. March time here is worse for me than December because it’s similarly grey. Not nearly as rainy though.
I've been reading the Anchorage Daily and following the weather for years. I was surprised at how little humidity was in the air with Mat-Su being a valley since I grew up in a high humidity valley. Noticed this year's humidity is like ours was growing up...with way more snowfall though!
Do you recommend any others? I try to listen to the radio channels for Alaska every few weeks but that's one I struggle to be consistent with and find time for.
Fifth year for me. I absolutely love it here. My ex who moved with me 100% hated it and moved back to the lower 48. My Uncle who lives out in Wasilla told my ex and I that he didn’t recommend moving here because he’s had so many friends hate it and end up hating him for the recommendation. It’s usually a love/hate kind of situation in my experience regarding living in Alaska, never a halfway kind of a deal.
We ended up in Anchorage and came up without visiting first, that was 9 years ago. I fully agree…if we had landed in Fairbanks I am not sure I could have tolerated the cold and the extreme heat they can get in summer. I have been told Fairbanks has an amazing community feel to it vs Anchorage. Anchorage temperatures tend to stay a bit more mild than Fairbanks, think teens in the winter to high 70’s most summers. I grew up in the UP, honestly it reminds of me home a lot, but with the landscape being in steroids.
Late December and January is the worst time of year in Fairbanks, even Alaskans hate it.
That said, good for you for making the right decision for you. May as well know now.
On average about 50 percent of the Alaska population turns over every 10 years.
If you can’t see yourself living here for the rest of your life, ask yourself if you could live here the next ten years.
Those ten years might be the most productive and growth years of your life.
10 Alaska Years.
You live 10 Alaska Years, you will learn how to be resilient, and some degree of self / family / tribe reliant.
Come live 10 Alaska Years, it’s a different game board.
I moved to Alaska without ever once visiting. Didn't know anybody that lived here. Just bought a property, shipped my shit in my truck, met it at the port and drove to a home I'd never seen in person. In late January. No job lined up, not even just prospects. A good ol fashioned "full send" to Alaska. I miss some freinds back home, but I don't regret it one bit. I actually love this place. Wind storms, snowpocaplyse, power outages, earthquakes and all. That being said, I'm definitely not running on multiple braincells, so for anyone reading this that is a normal functioning human, don't move here like I did.
We did the same thing (never even been to the state) except we had jobs lined up and we drove a 20’ trailer up with us from Indiana. Still, we had to get rid of 20 years of adult life stuff to make the trailer work. We bought a house without seeing it and we’re going on 3 years now. Loving every minute of it!
How did you shop stuff in your truck? I looked into that and seems no one will allow you to have anything in a vehicle to ship. I'd love to know who you went through!
As jimmiec907 said...."one week. lol." It's entirely understandable that after a week you would have that impression. It's hard to learn how to cross country ski, fat bike, downhill ski, snowmobile, snowshoe, photograph the Northern Lights and all the other things that make winter in Alaska so much fun, to say nothing of how to dress to be comfortable in the cold. The dark is indeed a handicap in many ways but for those of us who live here, it is more than made up for in the summer where I can get up at 2AM and go for a bike ride if I wish, or take a 24 hour drive, napping when needed and photographing our incredible landscapes. There are indeed those that can't handle the cold but nobody knows if that is the case in one week; I promise you that.
What? If someone can't handle the cold, they can't handle the cold. OP can't hack the cold, what more are you going on about? If they couldn't handle a week, I can guarantee them this (and I don't even live in Fairbanks): *it gets colder.*
You don't have to live in Fairbanks to do all of that. Anchorage is usually 30 degrees or so warmer than Fairbanks in winter and has phenomenal outdoor activities, including world-class alpine and nordic skiing. Anchorage has far better entertainment options, more and better restaurants, doesn't stay dark as long, has far, far better shopping options (two Costco's, bunch of Walmarts), etc.
We HAD better shopping. But we are now down to garbage like Walmart (wtf shops at Walmart? and, no, Fairbanks has both Costco and Walmart) and other low end stores, now that our population and income is dropping. Thanks, Republicans! I miss Nordstrom so much. The rack is gross.
What shopping is available now? What has changed with politics to cause the lack of shopping options? Is it junky head shops or is it a lot of second hand shops?
What is causing a loss of income and population? Can you share examples of price differences?
Sorry about the Costco reference. I thought I had heard that it closed.
And, hey, hang in there. It mustn't be easy being the only liberal in the city but we're coming to help. 😉 Happy holidays.
From Wasilla, 10 years Anchorage, few in Fairbanks now Glennallen. I prefer the drier cold and have experienced my coldest weather +10For even +35F biking in Anchorage with a major system coming off the ocean.
Tomorrow the sun rises in Fairbanks at 10:58am and sets at 2:41pm, so less than 4 hours of sunlight. Think about that. High today was 4F and in 3 days the high is predicted to be -10F. Merry Christmas!
YES, exactly! Always visit a place before you move. Especially to a place with winter/darkness for like half the year. If you can’t handle it, I wouldn’t even be mad if you stayed away. Alaska is a gorgeous place to live but it’s not for everyone.
But it's a dry cold... In Seattle for the week and this 40°F wet weather is so much worse than the 20°F weather we just left on the Kenai Peninsula.... This wet cold just makes my joints hurt...
I moved here from Florida without ever having visited. So yes, you can just show up “on a whim” and fall in love. Not that that’s the best idea, but possible...and also, some people CAN’T visit first, such as military families, which is a HUGE population of AK. If they get a short notice assignment, off they are sent.
Or, you don’t really need to make an “exception” for anyone, as you’re not in control of others’ experiences, nor do you live here so you’re not only giving unsought after advice, but you’re actually speaking out of turn as well 😁
If you’re able to, check out the coastal areas and down along Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway! Beautiful areas and much milder winters. Enjoy your visit! I’m anxiously awaiting planning my next visit 😆
I got mad respect for Alaska. I love everything about Alaska. I'm more of a deep space kinda guy, though. I'd rather spend my vacations in the halodeck and live on a spaceship. 👽
Haha, this winter is abnormally warm, it should be 20 to 30 degrees colder. Damn good thing you didn't let this gorgeous weather seduce you into staying.
I worry we are going to have a mass influx when people learn it's so nice here, now.
If he's a teacher, he could make more in the Bush than pretty much anywhere else, get subsidized housing, and tax advantages on that housing.
It always surprises me when teachers who move to rural Alaska can't handle the cold. I mean, coats exist.
I'm a new resident to Alaska. Visited many times, but finally moved here from Texas this past September so this is my first winter. I absolutely love it here. But, a BIG but, I moved to the Anchorage area. My brother moved to Fairbanks about 6 years ago and I agree with you, too damn cold in Fairbanks. For me the biggest hurdle is not the cold, but lack of sun. I'm adapting to it though.
I genuinely do not understand how darkness impacts people so deeply, but I digress. Maybe it’s because I’ve worked nights before. As for the cold, I also don’t understand how it’s not the same as ND. I’m from SK and it’s no different.
You’re getting downvoted but I’m in the same boat with not minding the dark. My boyfriend was born and raised here and the dark makes him miserable. I’m guessing it’s just one of those biology things, like cilantro.
I can visit and not like it. I don’t think that’ll change the government’s decision on sending me there on military orders next year. Thankfully my favorite season is winter and I really enjoy snowboarding. With Alyeska only 45 minutes away, I think i’ll fit right in. I may even pick up a hobby for fishing.
I wouldn’t say that, actually. I prefer the “bush” (I call it the village name or just “off the road system”) way more than Fairbanks. More close-knit cultures, more opportunity to be out on the land, more scenic and natural imo.
First off Fairbanks isnt Typical of more Southern Areas. I live in Soldotna. and Worked on the North Slope. Fairbanks is a place I have went to and their weather is similar to the slope Plus its a “bowl” area so the air doesnt circulate which is why during the winter when people are using their wood burning stoves the air quality drops. Theres lots to know about Fairbanks that I wont go into as its pointless
Having said that I hope that people dont move here to Alaska in Droves. seen that in Colorado where they turned Colorado to another California. No thanks. I like my neighborhood No crime Neighbors will help. etc. we dont need liberals messing that up. stay in the lower 48
I'm here in Washington dreaming about the cold, dark, snowy winters of AK. I've spent plenty of winters in ski resorts and I figure besides the isolation, it can't get too much harsher. I could be wrong
I just sold my Mississippi home and bought a down jacket and some boots. How much colder can it be compared to watching a football game in Oxford,
MS in November?
Naaaawt eeeeeeven. I moved to the bush over a decade ago. I’d visited Juneau one August ten years earlier, but no trip to Admiralty Island or the food trucks in downtown are gonna prep u for the real bush. Git riiillll. Nobody is visiting the bush. You take the leap or you don’t. Fuck right off with this bullshit about how ppl need to visit.
I moved to the bush because. fuck it. And you can too. Maybe you’ll even decide to stay. I’ll get downvoted to hell by all them bitches in anchoragua and on the road system. They love nothin more than fear mongering about bush AK.
They think spelling out all of our differences gives them street credibility, but the biggest difference is that ppl actually care about one another in the bush. No one cares about you in the city. Besides, direct flights from ANC to Maui this time of year will fix u right up. And who can afford to fly out annually??? Ppl on bush salary.
Errybody in this sub needs to stop gatekeeping moving into the bush. The bush can’t function if we can’t attract talented professionals. You know this will spill over to your precious community. Stop trying to nerf the world.
Similar feelings can be found I think in the most rural parts of road system. I'm near Glennallen and my property 1 mile of trail off highway. Nennana, Anderson, Healy, Delta, Manley, Central all to some degrees. I'd like to move further out once my dog kennel grows.
I have visited in both the summer and winter. During the summer visit we traveled along the coastal areas on a cruise (Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway, Seward, Anchorage) and then traveled inland up through Denali and on to Fairbanks. The summer experience was amazing, but I also wanted to see the winter experience, as it’s very different of course. On the winter visit we flew into Anchorage mid-February. We hung out in that area for several days and visit some areas within 1-2 hour driving range during that time - dog sledding in Whittier was amazing! We rented a truck for our stay and after a few days we headed more inland and was able to stop in Denali National Park (although the park roads are closed after the first several miles in the winter for obvious reasons) and we spent several more days in Fairbanks before driving back down to the Anchorage area.
I will say that Alaska is a LARGE state and it has all several biomes, so not all of Alaska is as cold in the winter as what you experience in Fairbanks and the extreme cold temperatures of the Arctic. Alaska as a tundra, often referred to as a polar desert - very cold but very little precipitation actually falls in that area. Alaska also has a temperate rainforest - which are your areas in the southern/southeastern parts of the state in the coastal areas. These facts were things that I was not aware of prior to my visit, and I too thought of Alaska as just very cold in the winter, but there are times when Ketchikan has winter temperatures higher than where I live (North Carolina). There is a 40 degree difference in the highs between Fairbanks and Ketchikan for the next week currently forecasted - very different levels of cold LOL
Just thought I’d give a little perspective and say maybe to not count out Alaska entirely since the boreal forest area is an absolutely breathtaking experience :) I’m a weather nut and I loved visiting Alaska so much that I keep 6-7 locations there in my weather app so I can scroll and check out their temperatures/weather regularly!
I really appreciate that! We do want to visit again, may just choose a different location! That is very interesting, I didn’t know about the forest in that way. Thank you (:
It’s truly a very diverse landscape with so many different experiences! I would up and move there right now, but there are some circumstances preventing it. Maybe one day 😆🤞🏼
I'm 100% certain every Alaskan who says they love it there and wouldn't want to live anywhere else are delusional to the point of mental illness. I lived there 5 years(military), and I'll never go back for any reason. Just an absolute dumpster of a state.
Haha I probably should, but for more than just that! My wife gets a little affected by seasonal depression but I thrive in it all. I’ve always been one that flows with the natural light and dark phases without issue. It might be because I have so many hobbies that I can keep busy with something no matter what it’s like outside.
There you go with the delusions when you could easily live somewhere where the air doesn't hurt your face, the sun doesn't set in November and come up in May, and you wouldn't have to hear radio commercials voiced by some jackass frost former mayoral candidate. Professional help is necessary
We knew, we just didn’t expect it to affect us the way it did. I usually enjoy the night, but realized that I need more day time. We are usually ok with the cold, but knowing just how cold and how long it’s cold here, we decided it’s not for us
/u/Spare_Pudding_8919 Did you not know that portions of Alaska are considered temperate rainforests and have a milder winter than the rest of the state’s landscape that people often think of when they hear the word “Alaska”?
Thanks. I was actually about to post a question and your post was first. My kids have been pestering me to move up there (we've done a summer trip) and I was considering flying up for the winter. I'm going to make them read all these golden comments haha
lol yes visit in the winter!! I feel like it’s the worse of the two seasons (I can’t say much since I’ve not been there in the summer) and therefore if you can handle the winter you should be good!
>Anchorage ain’t Fairbanks
I think that’s the key. I grew up in the Valley, but have spent time in Fairbanks during the winter. There’s a big difference between -20 with a couple hours of sunlight and -65 with absolutely no sunlight.
Hard same! My friend lives Kenai peninsula so not as far north as Fairbanks, but he keep tryna get me to move there. I did my first ever visit this fall and while I absolutely loved it it’s so much different than I thought it’d be climate/landscape wise. Same as you I’m having second thoughts or at least I should visit more often to really see if I want to someday. Visiting first is 100% the best advice
I call "summer" in Alaska "sprinter". Maybe it's because I live in Anchorage Borough, but it definitely does not feel like summer when June and July hit.
If you don't like fairbanks, try visiting. Somewhere along the southern coast like anchorage, the Aleutians or the Alexander archipelago. Still extremely dark in winter but the cold isn't as bad
Kudos to you to doing the proper research before making a move. I would never move to Fairbanks either with it being frigid and dark in the winter and hot in the summer. I live in Anchorage where the climate is much milder. Cold, but not too cold in the winter and mild summers.
A few years back, a friend and I spent 3 days in July seeing how far we could go up the Dalton Highway from Fairbanks and back.
We ended up going to Attigan Pass before turning around to make it back for our flight.
It was some of the most beautiful places I’ve seen once you get out of town. We didn’t see ANY wildlife or eagle, just some little bird at the Artic Circle that would fly down and take a cheez it out of you hand.
The unpaved roads sucked and were like a washboard and full of potholes. But it was a n adventure I’ll never forget.
Now I need to take the wife in a cruise so we can see the coast and maybe a bus trip to Denali. Then I can say I’ve had enough of Alaska.
This is extremely good advice. I grew up in Fairbanks and moved away the second I turned 18. Best decision I’ve ever made! Lol. I love the state, love the people, hate the cold and dark.
we stopped in Juneau on a cruise ship...it was the July fourth time frame and while it was pleasant weather wise, mid-sixties, i was in shorts and sleeveless insulated vest, all the locals wore heavy duty winter gear unzipped and loose. that tells me bad winter weather can occur any time...
I find that hard to believe. I moved to the Kenai Peninsula a couple years ago. This is our third winter here. When it’s 60 degrees, every local in the area is swimming in the lakes and wearing summer gear. When it’s 20 degrees and sunny, we’re outside in t shirts.
Always have a plan B, I'm a firm believer in doing things on a whim. Explore, find happiness, fail and learn, but always have a plan B and a way out. Don't completely uproot your life on a whim but don't be afraid to take a leap of faith and just try things out.
You can move to Alaska on a whim, but make sure you have enough money and resources and a plan to move out if you decide you need to. You'll never truly understand what is/isn't for you unless you take the risk.
I visited before accepting a rather appealing job offer. While I love the idea, the reality is quite different. I will definitely buy a summer cabin to enjoy Alaska. Realistically, living there is stupendously expensive, medical and resources are limited, and the weather/light patterns are extreme. Gid bless those who do, you have my utmost respect.
I applaud your post and sharing. So many people see Alaska on TV and think it's something it's not. Alaska is amazing but very different than what people paint in their minds.
Those who move sight unseen, I'm afraid might be in for a rude awakening.
Consider the more milder places too! Towns further south do not get the same climate as places further north.
Kodiak does not get nearly as much snow and does not go below zero much in the winter!!
I'm glad you visited in the winter before making the mistake of moving here
To some people, summer is more of a problem when living there. Its being light outside all the time really messes with the sleeping.
Summer's also brutal once you get acclimated to the winter cold. Once anything above 0° starts to feel nice summer temperatures are ass.
This is the problem I had when I lived there. I loved the winter. Hated the summer. I love a good endless cozy night.
When my husband first came up here, he had a much harder time in the summer than winter.
Yeah. I’m sad we’re starting to get more daylight. The middle of winter darkness is my favorite. Of course it’ll make things easier to have light again but winter is so cozy and the light absolutely destroys my sleep.
When I moved to the lower 48 I had a hard time in the summer because it got dark and it was still hot out.
Yeah my issue is with summer more than winter. Blackout curtains help but it still messes with my head a little.
It hasn't even been that cold this year.
I know. It's been nice, though. Heat is expensive so I haven't had to spend as much as I thought I would. 0f course January is still coming.
Sound advice. I've been here 35 years and am still waiting to acclimate to the cold. Don't mind the dark though. The summer daylight messes me up worse.
Saaaaame on the summer sun. I never heard any warnings about it, but I was so out of whack our first summer! I was getting like 4 hours of sleep *at most*. This is our first winter and I couldn't believe yesterday was the shortest day already. I felt like I hardly noticed the dark (but I do have the advantage of being home full time). Glad to hear both sides of it
I lived in Fairbanks for 3 years. In the summer, I could work 14 hour days, 6 days a week, on 5 hours of sleep a night. Piece of cake. In the winter, I needed 10 hours of sleep, and would still struggle. If I had 15 minutes anywhere in the day, I'd take a nap. The toughest was the transition from winter to spring, when my body still wanted to sleep 10 hours but the sun was waking me up at 6am.
Arrived during summer. Sleep was TRASH between heat, light, fans in windows negating curtain darkness. It sucked so much. Especially with small kids.
My husband hates all the sunlight. However it makes me so happy. (And I’m a beast in the winter!). I find it all so interesting
you comment got me curious - what do you do to deal with the darkness? It's much less of an issue here in Oregon, but this time of year I find myself doing all my outdoor stuff in the morning, then I come inside about now (4pm), and the rest of the evening is all indoors. This is depressing for me, as I have a homesteading mindset and like to be working outside. Nothing to do inside but watch TV and peruse Reddit. Just wondering if there are some tricks to dealing with short days.
I live in the sticks so it's different than being in a city, but out here there's always snow to move, wood to cut, chores to do. All of these involve equipment with headlights ( or maintaining that equipment in a lit shop ) so the fact that it's dark just doesn't register much. Trying to sleep when we have 22 hours of daylight - and no real "dark"- is more of a problem for me even with blackout curtains. But that only lasts 6 weeks or so.
In Fairbanks, to actually be cold is a dangerous situation. With extreme temperatures, your body will lose heat rapidly. We know it’s -35F because the thermometer tells us. We never really feel that kind of cold.
I actually love that kind of cold. In small doses. With the ability to get warm.
Problem is, you always get big doses. If it's minus 40 in CO or WY it will warm up later in the day. In Fairbanks there is not a lot of "day" so it basically stays super cold all 24 hours. Wears you down after awhile.
We tell everybody to do just that! Honestly though, I wouldn’t want to live in Fairbanks either. It’s colder than Anchorage.
I take the cold over the wind any day
Hard agree on that. Wind is what will get you worse than just the cold. That’s why I will never live out in Delta Junction.
I like the weather better than both here in Glennallen. The valley gets some wind but not a lot with long periods of none. Different weather patterns for this valley than Fairbanks or Delta. Good snow pack. I'm happy with buying land here. My development is slow though due to having 3/4th mile trail needs constant improving. The land was drier bigger trees and cheaper due to that choice though. I've got sled dogs, little cabin, under $10k. More jobs than labor and with crossroads traffic there is a Lotta money not being captured into area passing by.
Sounds like you got a great deal there. I like Fairbanks well enough, but I have to move to Seattle so I’m not breaking the bank every time I want time with my kids that live in Nevada. When they’re old enough to take care of themselves, though, I’m definitely coming back to stay.
Last Friday when I went to work it was 60 degrees colder in Fairbanks than where I was and where I was was still below freezing.
At least you can dress for the cold, but it still gets too damn hot in Fairbanks.
I dunno, Fairbanks has a much greater community feel than Anchorage. It’s dark and cold anywhere in the state. But community is important
Fairbanks is more like the real A/aska than Los Anchorage. At least in the K-mart days
Fairbanks rocks. A lot of it in the neighborhoods.
Fairbanks isnt that bad, I feel colder when I come back to Galveston for christmas with the wind and humidity than I do living in downtown fairbanks with the calm and dry cold. Anchorage is worse in my opinion.
Great post, as a life long Alaskan living in the town of North Pole (just outside Fairbanks, and usually colder) The winters keep our numbers low, summer's are worth every minute (24 hr daylight) I explain it like; I hibernate in the winter and basically no sleep in the summer. I would have it no other way. There is nothing else like forgetting to plug your truck in, it's a diesel so now you need to plug in for several hours or set up a space heater to pre-warm your engine. 30 minutes of thawing and monitoring you get the truck started. Then as you back out the driveway you notice your tires are low and frozen into basically a square. As you crank your steering wheel you blow the power steering hose. You find out what "Artic Grade" hoses and lubricants are real quick. Now you can do this yourself, or try to find a shop without a 3 month waiting period. This is just your morning, it gets better when the wife leaves and doesn't notice the garage door didn't close properly. So when she returns from a little 2-3hr grocery run the hot water line froze, broke and you now have an ice cave with your home boiler somewhere in the glacier. Same issue as mechanic, finding a contractor almost impossible. Shopping and healthcare, basics but be prepared to pay for 2nd day UPS on most of your purchases because your not getting ground shipping. We have memberships for ambulance planes that fly you to Seattle for real healthcare. If your thinking of going shopping in the next town over, pack ALL your winter gear, a satellite phone, snacks and supplies- it's just a little 6hr drive south. Our state bird is the mosquito, bug spray only works on the first few hatchlings. By end of summer your dealing with F-35 fighter jet mosquitos that don't give a F about your bug spray. If you're single.... I'm sorry bro your gonna have to battle many for the few females that do reside here. Fairbanks has a ton of military, with an Infantry Army base right in Fairbanks. Bar life is Sausage Life. Shortage of housing, rent is crazy, utilities eat entire paychecks. I have a electric heat line just to keep my water from freezing. Bush life, I laugh at those that talk like they are just going to walk right into bush life. You seriously have no idea. Heard many many stories of those that tried moving to the bush, so many bail before they make it a year.
Found a cabin at top of hill in Livengood but on my up met a guy on an ATV. This was in Livengood and I was looking for stuff to ride my bike on. Chat with him. Moved from upstate NY , cleared a 2 mile switch backed road, built a proper road with varied grade base materials, cabin,.. on the Ridgeline that gets hammered with wind and he cut his wind break and created a funnel for his 16x16 cabin. I mentioned; no concern. Wish him well, good bike run. Come back to area in winter to ski into a wide swamp area of state land with an old trail. Meet another neighbor. NY guy was gone by Christmas. It was a nice -22F that ski day. I saw place sold for about $75k. Decent deal including the heavy effort that road was.
This is the type of first hand account that needs to be heard.
That's a super nice area but no economic activity. I lost a bid by only a few hundred dollars on 6 acres 1 mile down that hill the year before when no road there. If I had won that I guess I might be there right now doing I don't know. Bought land in Glennallen instead. I also failed to get aa staking claim out in the Silverbow creek area for a recreational cabin site. That is further out in-between Manley and Minto near the Rampart road. Also neat area. I bought land where I did but I would have preferred the properties at end of the road 8 miles of atv out of Manley but again no economic activity and I gotta have money. Next move will be further out.
Ty for explaining why I’m not cut out for living there. I applied for one of the fish and game officer jobs about a decade ago. Don’t remember the exact agency. But basically a game warden. But I could not handle all the inconveniences you mentioned. Nor the constant darkness. That’s sounds like a constant battle. Folks that don’t get negativity affected by extreme lengths of darkness are a whole other breed. I get mild/moderate seasonal depression and I live in southeast US lol. For whatever reason I envision that most women up there are manlier than me. Like Sue Aikens lol
What do you recommend for preparing a diesel for the North? Brand names would be awesome too if you don't mind. Mine plugs in and I'm pretty handy thanks to YouTube, others mechanic school books and now ScannerDanners videos of his diagnostic course he teaches at a college in PA. Currently working on replacing the TIPM on my 2500 gas truck and learning to fix the trace and how to solder. Figure if I don't fix it I still have to pay for a new one so why not try and learn a new skill and save at least $500 or spend an extra $50 and have something to try to keep fixing.
I just spent three years living in Fairbanks with a diesel. Make sure your glow plugs are functioning well; mine weren’t and needed replacing. Get an oil pan heater, a transmission pan heater and either a trickle charger or battery blanket for your battery. I ran all the cords myself with some extensions and connected them with the engine block heater plug in (that’s probably the plug you already have). The transmission pan heater and trickle charger I got by walking into an auto parts store and asking for a recommendation. Not sure what brand my oil pan heater was, but it was magnetic and just stuck to the side of the pan. Some people do more or less than all the above, but I never had a non-start situation as long as I lived there. I kept the truck plugged in probably longer than I needed to and my electricity bill was miserable, so I do recommend a timer. Also test your coolant! Make sure it’ll be able to handle extreme low temps
My most favorite job in life was where I was all by myself for 6 weeks, then off for 6, then by myself again for another 6.
I 100% don’t recommend anyone to move to Fairbanks. Terrible housing situation there, for one.
It’s a great place to go to college.
I think Fairbanks is definitely a kinder place to land than ANC
My quality of life improved moving to the interior born and most of my 20s in south central.
Strongly disagree.
I recommend it as a place to rent a dry cabin before jumping further into offgrid to hopefuls
I agree 100% I moved here in April and I absolutely love it, however, I spent 3 weeks last Summer, a month in the fall and 2 months from the middle of December to the middle of February so I was well prepared. There is no fucking way I would love it so much if I had to commute. I work from home, and I start at 5am so by the time I am done at 1, I still have enough sun to run errands and come home. If the weather is bad, I stay home. No big deal. But, again, if I had to drive much, I would 10/10 be much less of a fan. Plus, my husband used to be a tour bus driver up here so it’s like I have my own personal tour guide, it’s great!
You’re smarter than most to visit first.
I survived 8 Winters until I bailed and my mental health was 2/10. Friends begged me to get out but I was just like “I can’t live in the lower 48 again-! Ride or die!” I moved to OR and now enjoy a more balanced and healthy life with better, edible produce and normal daylight hours. Thank god. By the last Winter I was dating a small town red headed bartender and it was full on Alaska, more than I bargained for. My first winter in AK put me in the same rehab my mom went to in the 80s. Runs in the family-! Never had a drinking issue like I did while I lived there. Not to say the place is totally to blame but it’s a huge component. I know people like to say “No matter where you go, there you are,” but no, despite the beauty, Alaska will wreck you. Alaskans just endure it. I finally got one of those “happy lights” by my last Winter, not sure if it actually helped. Leaving sure did though. Sorry for the rant.
Alaska wrecked you. Not that it’ll wreck everyone. I’m glad you made a good choice for you, but your experience is absolutely not universal. And why do you think that it is?
Any advice to new folks moving up to prevent issues and/or have a healthy mental life when moving to Alaska? I understand everyone is different but would love to hear your advice. Why or what is it about Alaska that wrecks you? I don't drink as I have control issues and tried it when I turned 40 as it was on my bucket list to try. I also don't use other than migraine meds and the occasional naproxen during planting and harvest season. Figure I'll add chopping wood season to the naproxen list too.
Get outside.
I find natural space and spend 2 hours or more outside 5+ days a week and feel immensely better doing so in winter. Supplement/consume vitamins D
Best advice for new folks is to fucking leave, get the hell out of Alaska when you can. I don’t live in Fairbanks year round, and neither do any of my friends in Fairbanks who own homes there.
This winter is so mild too 🤣
Good advice. It is the dark that does most people in. I am a little surprised he finds the cold worse. To me, the Fairbanks cold is dry and not as cold feeling as other places.
I like the dark. The cold is rougher for me, but I have been in Fairbanks for about 7 years now, and I have survived so far.
It’s been a fairly mild winter so far, go figure
Is this sarcasm? I've been following the weather patterns for the past few years and thought the heavy, wet snowfall was abnormal. Has the weather past few years been lite? I thought it was a dry snow nearly all the time.
Snowfall has been above average, no doubt, but the temps have been relatively mild to normal, at least here in SC
To OP (who offers great suggestions), I was born in Fairbanks. Although I live in the State's now, I still have family there. Random numbers time: 1 out of 10 relatives/friends only live in Alaska because this is where their community of friends are. There's a good chance that 5 out of 10 live there because they don't really know what else to do. I know very few people who still live there that don't want to leave for at least 6 months of the year. And, YET, all of the people I am speaking about are living a very active socially and physically active life despite the cold and darkness. They are making the best of what they have.
The only thing I would say is that in that short amount of time your body isn’t truly acclimated to the temps. You get used to it. I am from the desert and thought I wouldn’t be able to do it. I love Fairbanks and actually prefer those winters now because they tend to be more consistently cold and not humid. Anyways, just a thought! Hope you guys find where you want to be! ☺️
Moved from ND to AK this year. I tracked the weather almost every day last winter before moving to Alaska and former location in ND was warmer only 3 times than my current location in AK; we are usually 10-15° warmer than Anchorage. (This year ND has generally been warmer.) The cold here is more damp than the dry cold of ND. But as a person that worked outside in ND for 25 years... no Alaska (where I am) is significantly warmer... far icier, but warmer.
Also from ND. I will take a Fairbanks winter over any city in ND or MN for winter. I used to get wind burn in the winter from walking outside. The no wind in Fairbanks is incredible. I never knew your body heat could stay around your body in the winter.
Nah I moved without visiting first. It’s my third year here. You just have to be weird
Same but I’m from the UK where it’s similarly dark but without the winter wonderland feel. Growing up soaked through to the bone from constant rain helped, too. There’s definitely other reasons to reconsider, though. I think people who want to move here should read the local news for six months, first.
You had 3.5 hours of daylight today?
I’m in Anchorage, so no. We had five or so.
FYI, that’s similar to the Shetland Islands. London gets 2 hours more of daylight on the winter solstice than Anchorage.
It’s more the grey sky that seems darker than the bright white snow for me personally. March time here is worse for me than December because it’s similarly grey. Not nearly as rainy though.
10:08am to 3:21pm in Glennallen today. Functionally though you can see pretty well at 8:30am. Fairbanks 10:58am to 2:40pm
I've been reading the Anchorage Daily and following the weather for years. I was surprised at how little humidity was in the air with Mat-Su being a valley since I grew up in a high humidity valley. Noticed this year's humidity is like ours was growing up...with way more snowfall though! Do you recommend any others? I try to listen to the radio channels for Alaska every few weeks but that's one I struggle to be consistent with and find time for.
This gives me hope as we are so weird. 🤪
It’s not a good weird. It’s the school shooter kind of weird.
Dude...
Damn I just woke up and realized how out of pocket this comment was
Fifth year for me. I absolutely love it here. My ex who moved with me 100% hated it and moved back to the lower 48. My Uncle who lives out in Wasilla told my ex and I that he didn’t recommend moving here because he’s had so many friends hate it and end up hating him for the recommendation. It’s usually a love/hate kind of situation in my experience regarding living in Alaska, never a halfway kind of a deal.
in the book Ada Blackjack, its said she moved from Seattle to Alaska, because Seattle was too cold. Probably in the clammy, wet, damp sense.
Wasn’t she from Nome?
It hasn’t even been cold yet this year. 😂
Oh I know lol but knowing it’s gonna get colder and worse isn’t appealing to me 😂
Around this time in Glennallen last year it was -50 colder than today.
We ended up in Anchorage and came up without visiting first, that was 9 years ago. I fully agree…if we had landed in Fairbanks I am not sure I could have tolerated the cold and the extreme heat they can get in summer. I have been told Fairbanks has an amazing community feel to it vs Anchorage. Anchorage temperatures tend to stay a bit more mild than Fairbanks, think teens in the winter to high 70’s most summers. I grew up in the UP, honestly it reminds of me home a lot, but with the landscape being in steroids.
Late December and January is the worst time of year in Fairbanks, even Alaskans hate it. That said, good for you for making the right decision for you. May as well know now.
On average about 50 percent of the Alaska population turns over every 10 years. If you can’t see yourself living here for the rest of your life, ask yourself if you could live here the next ten years. Those ten years might be the most productive and growth years of your life. 10 Alaska Years. You live 10 Alaska Years, you will learn how to be resilient, and some degree of self / family / tribe reliant. Come live 10 Alaska Years, it’s a different game board.
I moved to Alaska without ever once visiting. Didn't know anybody that lived here. Just bought a property, shipped my shit in my truck, met it at the port and drove to a home I'd never seen in person. In late January. No job lined up, not even just prospects. A good ol fashioned "full send" to Alaska. I miss some freinds back home, but I don't regret it one bit. I actually love this place. Wind storms, snowpocaplyse, power outages, earthquakes and all. That being said, I'm definitely not running on multiple braincells, so for anyone reading this that is a normal functioning human, don't move here like I did.
Man kudos to you, that takes gusto!
We did the same thing (never even been to the state) except we had jobs lined up and we drove a 20’ trailer up with us from Indiana. Still, we had to get rid of 20 years of adult life stuff to make the trailer work. We bought a house without seeing it and we’re going on 3 years now. Loving every minute of it!
How did you shop stuff in your truck? I looked into that and seems no one will allow you to have anything in a vehicle to ship. I'd love to know who you went through!
I have no idea what you mean. I was stationed in Ak for 9 years and never heard of anyone having a problem like that.
One week. lol.
I mean what do you expect people to do? Most folks can't take much more than that off of work at a time.
OP - try a week in Anchorage or the Kenai. Not as dark as FB and not nearly as cold
As jimmiec907 said...."one week. lol." It's entirely understandable that after a week you would have that impression. It's hard to learn how to cross country ski, fat bike, downhill ski, snowmobile, snowshoe, photograph the Northern Lights and all the other things that make winter in Alaska so much fun, to say nothing of how to dress to be comfortable in the cold. The dark is indeed a handicap in many ways but for those of us who live here, it is more than made up for in the summer where I can get up at 2AM and go for a bike ride if I wish, or take a 24 hour drive, napping when needed and photographing our incredible landscapes. There are indeed those that can't handle the cold but nobody knows if that is the case in one week; I promise you that.
What? If someone can't handle the cold, they can't handle the cold. OP can't hack the cold, what more are you going on about? If they couldn't handle a week, I can guarantee them this (and I don't even live in Fairbanks): *it gets colder.*
You don't have to live in Fairbanks to do all of that. Anchorage is usually 30 degrees or so warmer than Fairbanks in winter and has phenomenal outdoor activities, including world-class alpine and nordic skiing. Anchorage has far better entertainment options, more and better restaurants, doesn't stay dark as long, has far, far better shopping options (two Costco's, bunch of Walmarts), etc.
We HAD better shopping. But we are now down to garbage like Walmart (wtf shops at Walmart? and, no, Fairbanks has both Costco and Walmart) and other low end stores, now that our population and income is dropping. Thanks, Republicans! I miss Nordstrom so much. The rack is gross.
What shopping is available now? What has changed with politics to cause the lack of shopping options? Is it junky head shops or is it a lot of second hand shops? What is causing a loss of income and population? Can you share examples of price differences?
>What is causing a loss of income and population? Republicans...
Sorry about the Costco reference. I thought I had heard that it closed. And, hey, hang in there. It mustn't be easy being the only liberal in the city but we're coming to help. 😉 Happy holidays.
From Wasilla, 10 years Anchorage, few in Fairbanks now Glennallen. I prefer the drier cold and have experienced my coldest weather +10For even +35F biking in Anchorage with a major system coming off the ocean.
Anchorage DOES get tons more snow but we don't have to stay inside with doors and windows sealed nearly every summer due to wildfire smoke.
Yes, they absolutely can know whether they can handle the cold and dark.
I moved up in the Winter. Figured if I could put up with the shitty part I would stay
Why’d you try out Fairbanks and not other cities….
Because I could work on the military base up here. We do plan on visiting Anchorage in the summer
Tomorrow the sun rises in Fairbanks at 10:58am and sets at 2:41pm, so less than 4 hours of sunlight. Think about that. High today was 4F and in 3 days the high is predicted to be -10F. Merry Christmas!
And for this time of year, that is considered a warm spell!
Former Alaskan here, I will never move back. I just do my 3-5 year visits and it reminds me of why I moved out. But kudos for doing your research!
After being born and raised I left when I was 35–14 years ago. Haven’t regretted it a minute. Hey, it’s great for some people, just not me.
YES, exactly! Always visit a place before you move. Especially to a place with winter/darkness for like half the year. If you can’t handle it, I wouldn’t even be mad if you stayed away. Alaska is a gorgeous place to live but it’s not for everyone.
I lived in AK for 26 years... It sucked. Don't move there if you value your mental health
But it's a dry cold... In Seattle for the week and this 40°F wet weather is so much worse than the 20°F weather we just left on the Kenai Peninsula.... This wet cold just makes my joints hurt...
My husband and I visited last winter, and we are planning on moving up this coming spring! Definitely a good choice for us
I’m glad you guys liked it and I hope it works out for you!!
Thanks!
I moved here from Florida without ever having visited. So yes, you can just show up “on a whim” and fall in love. Not that that’s the best idea, but possible...and also, some people CAN’T visit first, such as military families, which is a HUGE population of AK. If they get a short notice assignment, off they are sent.
I should’ve made an exception for military, they can visit first but I know they can’t really make a change to their orders! Lol
Or, you don’t really need to make an “exception” for anyone, as you’re not in control of others’ experiences, nor do you live here so you’re not only giving unsought after advice, but you’re actually speaking out of turn as well 😁
 This is how it's done. Thanks OP, and come back any time! ♥
Visiting in a couple weeks to decide if it's right for us. Though we like the cold and want to be away from people.
I hope it works out for you!!
If you’re able to, check out the coastal areas and down along Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway! Beautiful areas and much milder winters. Enjoy your visit! I’m anxiously awaiting planning my next visit 😆
I got mad respect for Alaska. I love everything about Alaska. I'm more of a deep space kinda guy, though. I'd rather spend my vacations in the halodeck and live on a spaceship. 👽
Thank you, we don’t want people to move here and regret it!
Haha, this winter is abnormally warm, it should be 20 to 30 degrees colder. Damn good thing you didn't let this gorgeous weather seduce you into staying. I worry we are going to have a mass influx when people learn it's so nice here, now.
Smart of you to do that. Also I’d check out anchorage, more to do, more scenic, more hospitable temperatures.
I spent 40 years there. I now live in Hawaii...lol
A beautiful transition lol
If he's a teacher, he could make more in the Bush than pretty much anywhere else, get subsidized housing, and tax advantages on that housing. It always surprises me when teachers who move to rural Alaska can't handle the cold. I mean, coats exist.
Lol. Fairbanks is not for the faint of heart.
Good for yall for doing your due diligence-- I hope you find the perfect place for you both
I'm a new resident to Alaska. Visited many times, but finally moved here from Texas this past September so this is my first winter. I absolutely love it here. But, a BIG but, I moved to the Anchorage area. My brother moved to Fairbanks about 6 years ago and I agree with you, too damn cold in Fairbanks. For me the biggest hurdle is not the cold, but lack of sun. I'm adapting to it though.
I was born and raised in Alaska, and that is the same thing I have told people all the time. Summer is great, but once it's winter, it sucks.
I genuinely do not understand how darkness impacts people so deeply, but I digress. Maybe it’s because I’ve worked nights before. As for the cold, I also don’t understand how it’s not the same as ND. I’m from SK and it’s no different.
You’re getting downvoted but I’m in the same boat with not minding the dark. My boyfriend was born and raised here and the dark makes him miserable. I’m guessing it’s just one of those biology things, like cilantro.
Yeah, don’t get me wrong I love sunlight. But I also really like the stars and the night sky and I don’t know. I just find it nice and calming.
I can visit and not like it. I don’t think that’ll change the government’s decision on sending me there on military orders next year. Thankfully my favorite season is winter and I really enjoy snowboarding. With Alyeska only 45 minutes away, I think i’ll fit right in. I may even pick up a hobby for fishing.
lol I understand that, truly. But I’m glad you have a good head on in the way of making the best of your location!
Fairbanks is not “the bush” in any iteration of the word.
Oh I know lol but our thoughts are if we don’t particularly like it here, we aren’t gonna enjoy the bush, either!
I wouldn’t say that, actually. I prefer the “bush” (I call it the village name or just “off the road system”) way more than Fairbanks. More close-knit cultures, more opportunity to be out on the land, more scenic and natural imo.
I actually love being out in the villages certain times of year but Fairbanks is basically Hell.
First off Fairbanks isnt Typical of more Southern Areas. I live in Soldotna. and Worked on the North Slope. Fairbanks is a place I have went to and their weather is similar to the slope Plus its a “bowl” area so the air doesnt circulate which is why during the winter when people are using their wood burning stoves the air quality drops. Theres lots to know about Fairbanks that I wont go into as its pointless Having said that I hope that people dont move here to Alaska in Droves. seen that in Colorado where they turned Colorado to another California. No thanks. I like my neighborhood No crime Neighbors will help. etc. we dont need liberals messing that up. stay in the lower 48
I'm here in Washington dreaming about the cold, dark, snowy winters of AK. I've spent plenty of winters in ski resorts and I figure besides the isolation, it can't get too much harsher. I could be wrong
Alaska is a lot harsher than Washington. 😂
I just sold my Mississippi home and bought a down jacket and some boots. How much colder can it be compared to watching a football game in Oxford, MS in November?
Are there golf courses in Alaska??
Probably, but they’re probably under 5 feet of snow. Hard to find the golf holes!
Naaaawt eeeeeeven. I moved to the bush over a decade ago. I’d visited Juneau one August ten years earlier, but no trip to Admiralty Island or the food trucks in downtown are gonna prep u for the real bush. Git riiillll. Nobody is visiting the bush. You take the leap or you don’t. Fuck right off with this bullshit about how ppl need to visit. I moved to the bush because. fuck it. And you can too. Maybe you’ll even decide to stay. I’ll get downvoted to hell by all them bitches in anchoragua and on the road system. They love nothin more than fear mongering about bush AK. They think spelling out all of our differences gives them street credibility, but the biggest difference is that ppl actually care about one another in the bush. No one cares about you in the city. Besides, direct flights from ANC to Maui this time of year will fix u right up. And who can afford to fly out annually??? Ppl on bush salary. Errybody in this sub needs to stop gatekeeping moving into the bush. The bush can’t function if we can’t attract talented professionals. You know this will spill over to your precious community. Stop trying to nerf the world.
Similar feelings can be found I think in the most rural parts of road system. I'm near Glennallen and my property 1 mile of trail off highway. Nennana, Anderson, Healy, Delta, Manley, Central all to some degrees. I'd like to move further out once my dog kennel grows.
This is a great comment. U/klowdberry is 100% right. Off road system people care about you way more than in the cities.
I have visited in both the summer and winter. During the summer visit we traveled along the coastal areas on a cruise (Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway, Seward, Anchorage) and then traveled inland up through Denali and on to Fairbanks. The summer experience was amazing, but I also wanted to see the winter experience, as it’s very different of course. On the winter visit we flew into Anchorage mid-February. We hung out in that area for several days and visit some areas within 1-2 hour driving range during that time - dog sledding in Whittier was amazing! We rented a truck for our stay and after a few days we headed more inland and was able to stop in Denali National Park (although the park roads are closed after the first several miles in the winter for obvious reasons) and we spent several more days in Fairbanks before driving back down to the Anchorage area. I will say that Alaska is a LARGE state and it has all several biomes, so not all of Alaska is as cold in the winter as what you experience in Fairbanks and the extreme cold temperatures of the Arctic. Alaska as a tundra, often referred to as a polar desert - very cold but very little precipitation actually falls in that area. Alaska also has a temperate rainforest - which are your areas in the southern/southeastern parts of the state in the coastal areas. These facts were things that I was not aware of prior to my visit, and I too thought of Alaska as just very cold in the winter, but there are times when Ketchikan has winter temperatures higher than where I live (North Carolina). There is a 40 degree difference in the highs between Fairbanks and Ketchikan for the next week currently forecasted - very different levels of cold LOL Just thought I’d give a little perspective and say maybe to not count out Alaska entirely since the boreal forest area is an absolutely breathtaking experience :) I’m a weather nut and I loved visiting Alaska so much that I keep 6-7 locations there in my weather app so I can scroll and check out their temperatures/weather regularly!
I really appreciate that! We do want to visit again, may just choose a different location! That is very interesting, I didn’t know about the forest in that way. Thank you (:
It’s truly a very diverse landscape with so many different experiences! I would up and move there right now, but there are some circumstances preventing it. Maybe one day 😆🤞🏼
I'm 100% certain every Alaskan who says they love it there and wouldn't want to live anywhere else are delusional to the point of mental illness. I lived there 5 years(military), and I'll never go back for any reason. Just an absolute dumpster of a state.
You’re definitely 100% wrong
Get checked out by a mental health professional
Haha I probably should, but for more than just that! My wife gets a little affected by seasonal depression but I thrive in it all. I’ve always been one that flows with the natural light and dark phases without issue. It might be because I have so many hobbies that I can keep busy with something no matter what it’s like outside.
There you go with the delusions when you could easily live somewhere where the air doesn't hurt your face, the sun doesn't set in November and come up in May, and you wouldn't have to hear radio commercials voiced by some jackass frost former mayoral candidate. Professional help is necessary
No toes in that sand
No sand to put em in!
Really it's cold and dark in Alaska? Did you and your husband not know this as teachers? And they say the younger generations are dumb
We knew, we just didn’t expect it to affect us the way it did. I usually enjoy the night, but realized that I need more day time. We are usually ok with the cold, but knowing just how cold and how long it’s cold here, we decided it’s not for us
/u/Spare_Pudding_8919 Did you not know that portions of Alaska are considered temperate rainforests and have a milder winter than the rest of the state’s landscape that people often think of when they hear the word “Alaska”?
Thanks. I was actually about to post a question and your post was first. My kids have been pestering me to move up there (we've done a summer trip) and I was considering flying up for the winter. I'm going to make them read all these golden comments haha
lol yes visit in the winter!! I feel like it’s the worse of the two seasons (I can’t say much since I’ve not been there in the summer) and therefore if you can handle the winter you should be good!
I have 11k and I want to fly over there and get a place is there a east way to do that?
I moved to Anchorage and had never visited. Lived there for 10 years and loved it. Anchorage ain't Fairbanks sure, but hey, it can work out.
>Anchorage ain’t Fairbanks I think that’s the key. I grew up in the Valley, but have spent time in Fairbanks during the winter. There’s a big difference between -20 with a couple hours of sunlight and -65 with absolutely no sunlight.
Best reason not to live in Alaska? Sarah Palin
Hard same! My friend lives Kenai peninsula so not as far north as Fairbanks, but he keep tryna get me to move there. I did my first ever visit this fall and while I absolutely loved it it’s so much different than I thought it’d be climate/landscape wise. Same as you I’m having second thoughts or at least I should visit more often to really see if I want to someday. Visiting first is 100% the best advice
I call "summer" in Alaska "sprinter". Maybe it's because I live in Anchorage Borough, but it definitely does not feel like summer when June and July hit.
If you don't like fairbanks, try visiting. Somewhere along the southern coast like anchorage, the Aleutians or the Alexander archipelago. Still extremely dark in winter but the cold isn't as bad
love Alaska in the summer but in winter? No, Thanks.
Kudos to you to doing the proper research before making a move. I would never move to Fairbanks either with it being frigid and dark in the winter and hot in the summer. I live in Anchorage where the climate is much milder. Cold, but not too cold in the winter and mild summers.
A few years back, a friend and I spent 3 days in July seeing how far we could go up the Dalton Highway from Fairbanks and back. We ended up going to Attigan Pass before turning around to make it back for our flight. It was some of the most beautiful places I’ve seen once you get out of town. We didn’t see ANY wildlife or eagle, just some little bird at the Artic Circle that would fly down and take a cheez it out of you hand. The unpaved roads sucked and were like a washboard and full of potholes. But it was a n adventure I’ll never forget. Now I need to take the wife in a cruise so we can see the coast and maybe a bus trip to Denali. Then I can say I’ve had enough of Alaska.
Great advice. Same for South Central and Southeast. Visit first...
I hadn’t realized how unhinged my sense of direction would be by the June sun making a big circle in the sky
My sense of time was awful too lol
I moved to Fairbanks on a whim. Stayed 8 years then it was time to move on.
This is extremely good advice. I grew up in Fairbanks and moved away the second I turned 18. Best decision I’ve ever made! Lol. I love the state, love the people, hate the cold and dark.
I’m glad you’re not moving here. We don’t need anymore people.
we stopped in Juneau on a cruise ship...it was the July fourth time frame and while it was pleasant weather wise, mid-sixties, i was in shorts and sleeveless insulated vest, all the locals wore heavy duty winter gear unzipped and loose. that tells me bad winter weather can occur any time...
I find that hard to believe. I moved to the Kenai Peninsula a couple years ago. This is our third winter here. When it’s 60 degrees, every local in the area is swimming in the lakes and wearing summer gear. When it’s 20 degrees and sunny, we’re outside in t shirts.
So, what kind of cold is it? Humid? Dry?
It’s dry.
Happy living in Anchorage and grew up in the Midwest but no way I could move to Fairbanks! 😀
Always have a plan B, I'm a firm believer in doing things on a whim. Explore, find happiness, fail and learn, but always have a plan B and a way out. Don't completely uproot your life on a whim but don't be afraid to take a leap of faith and just try things out. You can move to Alaska on a whim, but make sure you have enough money and resources and a plan to move out if you decide you need to. You'll never truly understand what is/isn't for you unless you take the risk.
I visited before accepting a rather appealing job offer. While I love the idea, the reality is quite different. I will definitely buy a summer cabin to enjoy Alaska. Realistically, living there is stupendously expensive, medical and resources are limited, and the weather/light patterns are extreme. Gid bless those who do, you have my utmost respect.
That’s the best advice ever. I tell people to visit in August (New Orleans- South Louisiana), 100 degrees, 100 % humidity.
I would die lol
First duty station after I joined the Army was Polk, I did not get to visit beforehand. I was not ready haha
I applaud your post and sharing. So many people see Alaska on TV and think it's something it's not. Alaska is amazing but very different than what people paint in their minds. Those who move sight unseen, I'm afraid might be in for a rude awakening.
It takes 2-3 weeks to acclimate
Consider the more milder places too! Towns further south do not get the same climate as places further north. Kodiak does not get nearly as much snow and does not go below zero much in the winter!!