Dare I say that it’s almost a wrap on our first fall in interior Alaska? Seriously. I know I’ve mentioned it on more than one occasion, but we were told that fall is short in interior Alaska, but I don’t think I realized that it’s quite this short. In a matter of days, our warm days have given way to frigid nights and, finally, housing turned our heat on, so these below-freezing mornings are more comfortable again. Running in the cold reminds me a lot of cold winter running in South Korea again – though less windy, thankfully. But wow. This season is short…and stunning.
Fall in Interior Alaska
When we arrived in Fairbanks, Alaska in late June, it was hot; hotter than I’d expected, if I can admit. There are no air conditioners on base, so we spent the first couple of weeks camping in the basement at night before our furniture arrived and while the sweaty days left us relegated to the one cool room in the house. I wonder if this is one of those core memories my kids will have someday…but I digress.
Fall in Interior Alaska is a perfect dichotomy of cold and warm, and it’s fleeting. From the time the temperature first dropped at night to now was a matter of a few weeks, and the days hover in the low-to-mid-40s at best. I will say, however, that the air quality is flawless though, and it’s beautiful change from the dismal winter AQI in South Korea. There’s also been quite a bit of rain, but each time it rains, the ranges emerge whiter than before, so you know it’s snowing in the mountains!
What Fall Looks Like in Interior Alaska
We’re well into our second year of homeschooling now (more on that later), so we’ve been taking plenty of time during the chilly days and mornings to absorb the colors of the season. And let me just tell you…they don’t disappoint. The birches have been awash in gold for the better part of three weeks now, and the kids and I have loved taking the time to collect the leaves, document the colors, and enjoy the frost nipping at the leaves each morning.
It’s funny because they say that your blood thickens the longer you spend in interior Alaska, and I have to think it must be true. Our kiddos are rocking the Korean parkas already whilst many of the kiddos who’ve been here longer still play in t-shirts and jeans. Maybe by next year we’ll have acclimated?! Either way though, we still had late summer temps in South Korea this time last year, so it’s definitely been an adjustment.
We’ve yet to see snow in the forecast yet, but we have seen our first glimpses of the northern lights, and it’s been beautiful! One of these weekends, I’ll set up my camera on the tripod and work to capture them in earnest. For now though, we’re basking in the last vestiges of our first fall in interior Alaska because the season is about to turn, yet again.
