Northern Lights in Fairbanks in December

Darkness in December

This is the month Fairbanks is famous for.

Daylight shrinks from about 4 hours 47 minutes on December 1 to about 3 hours 42 minutes at the solstice, when the sun rises at about 10:57am and sets at about 2:39pm. It stays low in the southern sky even at noon, so the few hours it is up are long, golden and shadowy, and the rest of the day is twilight or dark.

For aurora viewing, the window is enormous. The sky is dark enough from about 5pm and holds through the night, around magnetic midnight near 1am, with hours to spare on either side.

Why that helps less than it sounds

You could already see the aurora in November. By late November there is more night than any visitor can stay awake for. In the evening, December barely adds any: the sky goes properly dark at about the same time, a little after 5pm, on December 21 as on December 1. Most of the extra darkness falls in the morning and around midday, when you are asleep or recovering.

Cold shortens your sessions. At −13°F (−25°C), standing still is hard, and most people manage far shorter spells outside than in the fall. A September visitor who can wait out a quiet hour until 2am can have better odds than a December visitor who goes back to the car after forty minutes.

The thing that settles your odds in December is the same as in every month: cloud, and December’s cloud figures are not good.

Weather and Cloud

Weather Spark puts the sky overcast or mostly cloudy about 64% of the time in December, against about 62% in November and about 61% in January. There is no trade-off here of the kind March offers: March is clearer, at about 55% on the same measure.

Add the cold and the short sessions, and this is why December falls short of its reputation. The answer is the one that works all season: stay longer. Explore Fairbanks puts the odds above 90% for visitors who stay three or more nights and are out watching late. In a month this cloudy, four or five nights is the better plan.

Temperature

December averages a high of about 4°F (−16°C) and a low of about −13°F (−25°C), and the interior can get far colder during a cold snap: Fairbanks reached −62°F (−52°C) on December 28 and 29, 1961.

This is the point in the season where clothing stops being a comfort question and decides whether the trip works. Standing still for two or three hours is the activity. Clothes that are fine for walking around a city at −4°F (−20°C) are not enough for it, and the difference between proper cold-weather gear and ordinary winter clothing is the difference between a three-hour session and a twenty-minute one.

Some operators supply parkas, insulated boots and bibs, and others charge for them or leave it to you. Confirm with your operator in writing. If you are not covered, Fairbanks outfitters such as Alaska Outdoor Gear Rental hire out packages built for standing still in the cold, by the day or for several days.

A few details matter more in December than in any other month: glasses fog and then ice over, camera batteries drain fast and need to be kept warm inside your jacket, and exposed skin is at real risk of frostbite in a cold snap.

What Makes December Distinctive

The solstice

Seeing the shortest day at 64°N is a real reason to come. The sun barely clears the horizon, tracks low across the southern sky for under four hours, and sets again in the early afternoon. It is disorienting in a way photographs do not capture, and for some travelers it is the point of the trip.

Fairbanks at its most seasonal

December is when the region looks most like the Arctic winter people picture: deep snow, ice fog in town on the coldest mornings, and a city running in near-permanent twilight.

North Pole, Alaska, around 14 miles south-east of Fairbanks and about twenty minutes’ drive, has its best month. The Santa Claus House is open year-round, but it makes most sense in December, and for families it is the strongest argument for choosing December over November or January. For something active while you are there, the North Pole Guided Snowmobile Tour, rated 4.8/5 from 77 reviews, is a one-hour ride through the winter forest with hotel pickup and cold-weather gear included. Bear in mind it runs in the few hours of daylight.

→ Day trips from Fairbanks in winter

Two very different halves

Early December has no holiday rush, and the Christmas and New Year period brings holiday travel and more pressure on rooms and tours. There are no published monthly visitor figures, but if you are traveling over the holidays, book early.

If you want the atmosphere without the holiday demand, the first two weeks of December are the better booking, and they have almost the same darkness as the solstice itself.

What You Will Miss

Clearer skies. The best cloud figures of the season belong to late winter, especially March.

The ice art. The World Ice Art Championships run from mid-February into late March.

Comfortable viewing. September, and to a lesser degree March, allow far longer sessions outside.

The equinox bump. The Russell-McPherron effect lifts geomagnetic activity near the March and September equinoxes, and December sits at the opposite point of the year. The effect is modest, and it matters less in Fairbanks because the city already sits under the auroral oval.

Reflections. The lakes froze back in October and November.

Who Should Choose December

Choose December if: the deep winter atmosphere is what you are coming for; you want to see the solstice at high latitude; you are traveling with children and North Pole appeals; school holidays fix your dates; or you want the most darkness and accept the trade-offs.

Choose another month if: you want the best odds (March); you want comfort (September); you want winter activities without the severity (November or February); or you want the ice art (February or March).

Compared With the Months Either Side

Versus November: December gives more darkness, deeper winter and the holidays. November is a little milder, quieter all month, and normally has snow on the ground by then too. Neither has good cloud figures, and the practical difference in odds is small.

Versus January: very close. January is colder, a little less cloudy and gains daylight fast; December has the solstice and the holidays. If conditions matter more to you than atmosphere, neither has an advantage worth chasing.

Versus March: March is stronger on nearly everything that affects your odds: clearer skies, the equinox effect, milder temperatures, the ice art and still plenty of darkness. December’s case is atmosphere and timing, not probability.

→ Full month-by-month comparison

Practical Notes for December

Book the first half of the month if you want quiet and value; the darkness is almost the same as at the solstice.

Budget for gear. This is the month when inadequate clothing costs you sightings.

Book four or five nights. Cloud is high, and extra nights are the only reliable hedge.

Plan very little in the daytime. With under four hours of daylight around the solstice, daytime activities are limited by light as well as by your sleep.

Chena Hot Springs and the Aurora Ice Museum are open year-round, and the museum’s interior, held at about 25°F (−4°C), will feel mild after the air outside.

Our pick on GetYourGuide: the Northern Lights Tour with Free Photos from Arctic Night Tours, rated 4.8/5 from more than 250 reviews, picks you up at your hotel and drives to wherever the forecast shows the clearest sky, which is what a cloudy month needs. If standing out in December cold is the worry, the Aurora Glass House Experience at Cleary Summit (4.5/5 from 43 reviews) lets you watch from a heated 270° glass room.

→ Chena Hot Springs from Fairbanks

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you see the northern lights in Fairbanks in December?

Yes, and darkness is at its maximum, with about 3 hours 42 minutes of daylight at the solstice. Cloud and how long you can stand the cold are the real limits, not the length of the night.

Is December the best month for the northern lights?

No. It has the most darkness, but the sky is overcast or mostly cloudy about 64% of the time and the cold limits how long you can stay outside. March pairs clearer skies with plenty of darkness and is the stronger choice for your odds.

How many hours of daylight does Fairbanks get in December?

About 4 hours 47 minutes on December 1, falling to about 3 hours 42 minutes at the solstice, when the sun rises at about 10:57am and sets at about 2:39pm. The sun stays low even at noon.

How cold is Fairbanks in December?

The average high is about 4°F (−16°C) and the average low about −13°F (−25°C), and cold snaps can go far lower. You need heavy cold-weather clothing to stand still outside.

Does more darkness mean better odds?

Only up to a point. From November on there is already more darkness than any visitor can use, and in the evening December gets dark at about the same time as late November. The cold also shortens how long you can be outside, which cancels part of the gain.

Is December busy in Fairbanks?

There are no published monthly visitor figures. Early December has no holiday rush, while Christmas and New Year bring holiday travel, so book those dates early. The first two weeks have almost the same darkness.

Is December good for families?

It can be. North Pole, Alaska, about 14 miles from Fairbanks, is at its most appealing this month, and school holidays often set the dates anyway. The cold is the main thing to plan around with young children.

How many nights should I book in December?

Four or five instead of three. Cloud is the limit, and extra nights are the most effective protection.

Next Steps

For the full seasonal picture: best time to see the northern lights in Fairbanks. Neighboring months: November and January. For somewhere to base yourself: where to stay in Fairbanks for aurora viewing.

Browse Fairbanks northern lights tours →