1. Alaska Gets Six Months of 24-Hour Sunlight and Darkness. Interestingly, this myth was perpetrated by our science books for many years. Only the furthest north and south points have equal parts daylight and darkness throughout the year, and Alaska isn't north enough to experience six months of either extreme.
In fact, the northernmost city in America – Utqiaġvik, Alaska, formerly known as Barrow – has near-constant darkness from mid- to late November until late January because the sun never rises during that 60-plus-day period. Hours of daylight (sunrise to sunset) on the winter solstice.
In Barrow, the northernmost place in Alaska, there are 67 days of darkness. But in Fairbanks, right in the middle of the Interior, there are almost four hours of daylight on solstice.
For roughly two months of the year – those months surrounding the summer solstice – Alaskans enjoy daylight 24 hours a day.
Why is the Antarctic dark for six months? While the world experiences four major seasons, Antarctica has just two, summers and winters as it remains covered in thick ice.
Svalbard, Norway (for the Polar Night)
According to the official tourism board for Svalbard, the only natural light sources during that time are the moon, the stars, and the aurora.
In the Norwegian city of Tromsø, the dark hours can last for up to a month a half. If you visit Hammerfest, both the northernmost city in the world and one of the two oldest towns in Norway, the polar night lasts for almost two months.
Fairbanks has long been known as the “Land of the Midnight Sun” with the summer sun shining up to 24 hours a day. Track the precise number of daylight hours for any day of the year on our Midnight Sun Tracker.
Located near the top half of the northern hemisphere, Alaska is subject to long summer days the area faces towards the sun. As the Earth continues to rotate, the northern hemisphere, specifically Alaska, remains facing the sun, creating nearly 24-hours of daylight.
Here in Fairbanks there are 70 straight days of civil twilight—from May 17 to July 27. Continuous, pure sunlight 24/7 for 70 days— imagine that.
The good news? It will return and then during the summer when it won't set for days.” Darkness lays over Utqiagvik, a constant sight during the town's 65-day polar night. The northern third of Alaska lies above the Arctic Circle, the ring of latitude that encircles the frigid Arctic polar region.
Norway. Norway, situated in the Arctic Circle, is called the Land of the Midnight Sun, where from May to late July, the sun actually never sets. This means that for around a period of 76 days, the sun never goes down.
Winter temperatures in Alaska range from 0°F / -18°C to -30°F / -35°C from November to March. Finally, while it can rain throughout Alaska's summer, May is often the driest month in Alaska, and September is typically the wettest.
In Barrow, the northernmost village in the state, there is no daylight for 64 days in the heart of the winter. The sun does not rise above the horizon. Deep winter in the northern hemisphere is summer in the south.
This means you'll have very limited daylight during your December trip to Alaska. And that varies a lot by geography too: In Anchorage, the longest day in December has about 6 hours, 6 minutes of daylight, and there are only 5 hours, 28 minutes of daylight on the solstice.
Many believe that Alaska only has two weather conditions: cold and freezing cold. Contrary to popular beliefs, Alaska is pretty warm in the winter season (May to September). Temperatures can warm-up from 70°F (21.1°C) to 100°F (37.8°C), depending on the location.
Some people think Alaska has less sunlight than other places. The opposite is true. Averaged over an entire year, Alaska gets 10-17 minutes more daylight per day than the rest of the country. If you include civil twilight, Alaska gets 40 minutes more light on average than the rest of the country.
Anchorage: This city located in south central Alaska receives only five hours of sunlight on the day of the winter solstice. The sun rises at about 10:15 a.m. before setting at about 3:45 p.m. Barrow: The residents of Alaska's northernmost town don't see the sun for 67 days in the winter.
Summer In Alaska
By July, daytime temperatures in the Interior can average in the 70° F range—although it has been known to reach well into the 90s—while temperatures in the coastal areas and higher elevations rarely get above 65° F.
The June solstice (summer solstice) in Anchorage is at 6:57 am on Wednesday, June 21, 2023. In terms of daylight, this day is 13 hours, 54 minutes longer than the December solstice. In most locations north of the equator, the longest day of the year is around this date.
Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Polar night is a phenomenon in the northernmost and southernmost regions of Earth where night lasts for more than 24 hours. This occurs only inside the polar circles.
Located more than 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle, Tromsø, Norway, is home to extreme light variation between seasons. During the Polar Night, which lasts from November to January, the sun doesn't rise at all.
76 days of midnight sun between May and July greets travelers in Northern Norway. The further north you go, the more nights of midnight sun you get. During the summer months, you can experience up to 24 hours of sunlight above the Arctic Circle, which means more time to enjoy the sights and make new discoveries.
Do you know that there is a place in the world where the sun sets at 12:43 in the night and rises again after only 40 minutes? This stunning view is witnessed at Hammerfest town in Northern Norway. Here, the sun sets at midnight and after just 40 minutes birds start chirping.