Fairbanks does not follow the ‘classic’ seasons of winter, spring, summer, and fall. These seasons are a myth, an idea, a dream. There are six real seasons in Fairbanks as follows: Breakup, Greenup, Mosquito Season, August (the Rainy Month), September (the Fall Month), Winter. Let me explain.
Breakup Season
Some people might call this time of year spring or the end of winter, but up here we call it Breakup Season. Pull out your Xtratuffs, a.ka. breakup boots, a.k.a, knee boots, the snow, and ice are melting. Now this season can start as early as the last week of March or as late as the middle of May, but just for standardization’s sake, let’s say Breakup Season starts the first week of April. Now the ground in April is frozen solid and won’t really thaw out until almost July. As a result, the melting snow creates puddles, ponds, and a lot of mud. Hence the need for breakup boots. This season usually lasts until about mid-May.
Greenup
Greenup lasts approximately 2 1/2 weeks and overlaps with both breakup and mosquito season. But because I happen to love Greenup the best, I’m going to treat it as if it is its own season. Green up starts when you are driving down the road and you see a green haze on the hilltops. Yahoo! The leaves have opened on the trees. ‘Spring’ is here. In Fairbanks, this happens about mid-May, usually. If you are a bird person this means the migratory birds are coming back quickly. And the long days of summer where the sun never sets are close at hand. Then in the midst of your joy you see your first mosquito. Which brings me to the next season in Fairbanks.
Mosquito Season
Mosquito Season usually starts, depending upon where you live in Fairbanks, the third week of May. But it really hits full force June 1st. You’re innocently putting in your garden when you realize somehow you magically forgot all about the mosquitoes from last year and they are eating you alive. From here on out you are in survival mode. You camp where there is a breeze and you pack your head net and mosquito repellant everywhere for the next two months. See my post on ‘How to Protect Your Children from Mosquitoes’ for some tips. There is really no avoiding it unless you are directly in town. Mosquito season is usually hot, dry, and smoky thanks to the forest fires but sometimes it can be rainy too.
August (the Rainy Season)
By the end of July the mosquitos usually start tapering off and you think, ‘Awww, now I can enjoy summer’. Nope, summer is done and the rainy season hits. Fairbanks gets the majority of its moisture in August and you can really tell. August is comprised of rain, the State Fair, mushrooms, garden harvesting, and migrating birds. That is it. Hey, but at least there are no mosquitoes. The breakup boots are hauled out again.
September (Fall)
I really like September. The rain stops. The mornings are crisp, and the afternoons are warm and sunny. It is a classic fall season. The trees and undergrowth change to brilliant yellows and reds. You realize that it can snow in a month so you start getting your place ready for winter, see my post on ‘Harvest Calendars’. You try to have one last outdoor hurrah with all your friends.
Winter
Now I love the first snowfall of the winter, I mean who doesn’t? But I am never ready for winter. Winter in Fairbanks starts October 1st, usually. Snow that falls, sticks to the ground, and lasts all winter, usually happens around October 15. Your kids wear snowsuit Trick-or-Treating. Then Winter lasts for at least 6 months. It is long, dark, and cold. Winter can also be very relaxing. If you compress all 3 seasons, ‘Spring’, ‘Summer’, ‘Fall’, into 6 months, you are a busy, busy person, often busy 12 hours a day every day. All house projects, firewood collecting, vacations, camping trips, are during this time, so you hardly see your friends. So when Winter hits, that is the time to take a break, see your friends, sleep, and plan for next ‘Summer’. Unless you decide you need to: go ice fishing, build an extension on your house, ski, go sledding, have a bonfire, take your snowmobile/machine out to a remote cabin, or any of the hundreds of other things there are to do in the Winter.
April you are inspiring! I don’t think I would have survived these seasons without kids but especially not with them. We looked into teaching in Alaska when we were young teachers. Our offered location was to isolated for me. Love hearing your perspective on life there. Thanks for sharing!
You make me feel as if I am there again