Fairbanks Winter Guide 2008-2009

When do we turn on the Northern Lights? We can’t make them appear with the flick of a switch, but we can provide one of the best spots on earth to see them. Beautiful and mysterious curtains, the colors range from green to red to purple, with the brightest and most common color, a yellow-green. Fairbanks sits under what is called the Auroral Oval, a ring-shaped region around the North Pole. Our location offers a great balance of occurrence, frequency and activity. Intensity varies from night to night, with the best viewing from late evening through the wee hours of the morning, late August to April. According to the Geophysical Institute, the best for weather, darkness and daytime activity is February/March. During any twoweek period, there will be aurora visible on 9 out of 10 clear nights and an active aurora on 4 out of 10 nights. See the Northern Lights from a heated “aurorium” cabin, on an overnight dog sled trip, by snow cat tour to a panoramic vista, on a horse drawn sleigh, or on a flight above the Arctic Circle. Ask the front desk for a wake-up call; if the aurora appears, they will awaken you. No guarantees, but the longer you’re here, the better your chances of seeing a great display. For those who have seen the aurora, take home your personalized aurora certificate suitable for framing. Certificates are available from tour operators and the FCVB Visitor Information Center. Do you believe in the Northern Lights? Traditionally, Alaskan Natives believed they saw the souls of their ancestors in these shimmering bands of light. Spiritual, haunting and unpredictable, Northern Lights displays can be seen an average of 243 days during the year when there is enough darkness and clear skies. For a forecast, visit www.gi.alaska.edu/ Jesse Carlstrom/FCVB June Mackie/ATIA 2 http://www.gi.alaska.edu/

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Fairbanks Winter Guide 2008-2009

Fairbanks Winter Guide 2008-2009 Contents Who Let the Dogs Out? When Do We Turn On the Northern Lights? Head North Surf's Up At the Hot Springs It's All About Ice and Snow Winter Wear Can You Catch Fish? Where's Santa? What Do Knights, Lions and Horses Have In Common? Discover Where Fairbanks Comes to Life Out and About...And On Tour Small Town...Big Events Who Offers Winter Fun? Fairbanks Denali Neighbors, Arctic Neighbors, Interior Neighbors Alaskan Neighbors Winter Fun: It's Cool To Be Safe Who To Call Aurora Sites: Facts and Forecasts

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.