Utqiagvik, Alaska (formally known as Barrow) just plunged into polar darkness that will last the next two months. Yesterday, the sun set on the city of around 4,300 residents for the final time of 2019. The next dawn will be on January 23, 2021. That’s a period of 67 days of total darkness.
Hundreds of miles north of the Arctic Circle, Utqiagvik is the northernmost city in the United States. It’s located 2,000 miles north of Seattle, Washington.
A school teacher in the town of Utqiagvik, Kirsten Alburg, posted the above photo with the following message:
11.18.20 Utqiagvik (Barrow), Alaska. Temp 8F, Sunrise 12:55pm–Sunset 1:29pm. (0 days until Polar Night). After a week of cloudy sunless days, today, the clouds cleared just enough for us to be able to see and wave goodbye to our beautiful bright friend. The next time the Arctic will see the sun will be January 22nd at 1:16pm. I have to say there was a tear in my eye, as I sat on the frozen tundra watching her set. However, as I sit here typing this now, I feel nothing but excitement for the coming days of peaceful darkness and the official start of Polar Night!!!!
