Is it dark twenty-four hours a day in the winter in Fairbanks?
No. On the winter solstice — the shortest day of the year — the sun rises about 11:00 AM and sets about 2:45 PM. Twilight on either end of those events extends the daylight even more. Bright, white, snow cover helps to reflect artificial light and moonlight, making even overcast nights brighter. Leading up to the winter solstice, Fairbanks loses about seven minutes of daylight a day. After December 21st, we gain seven minutes a day, culminating in almost twenty-two hours of daylight on June 21st. With twilight factored in; it doesn’t really get dark for almost a month in the summer.
