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Utqiagvik, Alaska

Utqiaġvik (Inupiaq: Utqiaġvik; IPA: [utqe.ɑʁvik], English: /ˌʊtkiˈɑːvɪk/ UUT-kee-AH-vik[6]), officially the City of Utqiaġvik and known as Barrow (/ˈbæroʊ/) until 2016, is a city in Alaska. It is the northernmost city of the United States of America and one of the northernmost cities in the world. It is located on the north coast of Alaska along the Arctic Ocean and is the administrative capital of the North Slope Borough. It is about 1,300 miles or 2,100 kilometers from the North Pole. Its antipode is located in Antarctica.

Barrow
City
Barrow Alaska.jpg
 
Coordinates: 71°17′26″N 156°47′19″W / 71.29056°N 156.78861°W / 71.29056; -156.78861Coordinates: 71°17′26″N 156°47′19″W / 71.29056°N 156.78861°W / 71.29056; -156.78861[1]
CountryUnited States
StateAlaska
BoroughNorth Slope
IncorporatedJune 8, 1959[2]
Area
[3]
 • Total21.48 sq mi (55.63 km2)
 • Land18.77 sq mi (48.61 km2)
 • Water2.71 sq mi (7.01 km2)
Elevation
[1]
10 ft (3 m)
Population
 (2020)[4]
 • Total4,927
 • Density262.49/sq mi (101.35/km2)
Time zoneUTC−9 (Alaska (AKST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC−8 (AKDT)
ZIP code
99723[5]
FIPS code02-05200 [1]
GNIS ID1398635[1]
Websiteutqiagvik.us
English (Welcome to Barrow) and Inupiat (Paġlagivsigiñ Utqiaġvigmun)

Climate

Utqiagvik experiences a tundra climate with long, very cold winters and short, cool summers. Temperatures are below freezing from early October until late May. The high temperature is above freezing for only about 138 days per year, and there are temperatures at or below 0 °F (−18 °C) on an average of 145 days per year. Freezing temperatures and snowfall can happen during any month of the year.[7]

Because Utqiagvik is located above the Arctic Circle, there are some days when the sun never rises and some days when the sun never sets. When the sun sets on November 18 or 19, it will stay below the horizon for about 65 days, until January 22 or 23. This phenomenon is called polar night. The opposite, midnight sun, occurs during the summer. When the sun rises on May 10 or 11, it will remain above the horizon until August 1 or 2.

Winters are extremely cold and dry with temperatures at or below -40°F/C sometimes occurring. Summers in Utqiagvik are cool with temperatures in the high 30s and low 40s. There are on average 26 days per year above 50°F (10°C) and around 5 days above 60°F (18°C). Temperatures above 70°F are rare. The average yearly temperature in Utqiagvik is 14.3 °F (−9.8 °C). The highest temperature recorded in Utqiagvik was 79 °F (26 °C) on July 13, 1993 and the lowest temperature was −56 °F (−49 °C) on February 4, 1924. Utqiagvik is warming quickly due to being in the Arctic. The Arctic region is warming at rate three times the global mean.[8] Smoothed data from NOAA shows that Utqiagvik has warmed by more than 11°F since 1976 with average autumn temperature warming at a staggering 18°F (10°C).[9] [10]

Climate data for Utqiagvik, Alaska (Wiley Post–Will Rogers Memorial Airport, 1991-2020 normals,[11] extremes 1901–present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 36
(2.2) 		36
(2.2) 		34
(1.1) 		42
(5.6) 		47
(8.3) 		73
(22.8) 		79
(26.1) 		76
(24.4) 		62
(16.7) 		44
(6.7) 		39
(3.9) 		40
(4.4) 		79
(-17.8)
Average high °F (°C) −4.1
(-20.06) 		-4.4
(-20.22) 		−2.7
(-19.28) 		11.7
(-11.28) 		28.0
(-2.22) 		42.1
(5.61) 		48.8
(9.33) 		45.6
(7.56) 		38.2
(3.44) 		26.7
(-2.94) 		12.6
(-10.78) 		0.6
(-17.44) 		20.26
(-6.523)
Daily mean °F (°C) -10.9
(-23.83) 		-11.4
(-24.11) 		-9.9
(-23.28) 		4.6
(-15.22) 		23.2
(-4.89) 		36.6
(2.56) 		42.2
(5.67) 		40.3
(4.61) 		34.2
(1.22) 		21.8
(-5.67) 		6.2
(-14.33) 		-5.8
(-21) 		14.26
(-9.856)
Average low °F (°C) −17.8
(-27.67) 		−18.3
(-27.94) 		−17.2
(-27.33) 		−2.5
(-19.17) 		18.5
(-7.5) 		31.1
(-0.5) 		35.6
(2) 		35.1
(1.72) 		30.2
(-1) 		16.8
(-8.44) 		−0.1
(-17.83) 		−12.2
(-24.56) 		8.27
(-13.185)
Record low °F (°C) −53
(-47.2) 		−56
(-48.9) 		−52
(-46.7) 		−42
(-41.1) 		−19
(-28.3) 		4
(-15.6) 		22
(-5.6) 		20
(-6.7) 		1
(-17.2) 		−32
(-35.6) 		−40
(-40) 		−55
(-48.3) 		-56
(-17.8)
Precipitation inches (mm) 0.14
(3.6) 		0.21
(5.3) 		0.18
(4.6) 		0.18
(4.6) 		0.28
(7.1) 		0.43
(10.9) 		0.98
(24.9) 		1.09
(27.7) 		0.77
(19.6) 		0.54
(13.7) 		0.37
(9.4) 		0.22
(5.6) 		5.39
(136.9)
Snowfall inches (cm) 3.6
(9.1) 		3.8
(9.7) 		2.8
(7.1) 		3.6
(9.1) 		3.4
(8.6) 		0.7
(1.8) 		0.2
(0.5) 		0.7
(1.8) 		4.3
(10.9) 		10.2
(25.9) 		8.0
(20.3) 		4.9
(12.4) 		46.2
(117.3)
% Humidity 72.7 70.0 70.9 76.8 87.0 88.5 87.9 91.1 90.6 85.6 79.4 74.0 81.2
Avg. precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in (0.25 mm)) 4.6 4.6 4.1 5.1 5.1 5.8 9.1 11.5 12.7 12.2 7.1 5.7 87.6
Avg. snowy days (≥ 0.1 in (0.25 cm)) 6.4 6.4 5.7 7.7 6.4 1.7 0.6 2.3 8.9 15.6 10.6 8.2 80.5
Sunshine hours 0 84.75 186 270 310 300 310 186 120 62 30 0 1,858.75
Source #1: NOAA (relative humidity and dew point 1961–1990)[10][12][13][14]
Source #2: Weather Atlas (sun and uv)[15]

Transportation

Although Utqiagvik is in North America, it is isolated from any other city. There is no road connecting Utqiagvik and other places in Alaska, which makes it impossible to drive into or out of the city. Therefore, the only way to get there is by plane. It is also possible to get there by boat, but only during a few months in the summer as the ocean is frozen for most of the year.

Utqiagvik, Alaska Media

  • The Ukpeakvik mounds are the site of ancient sod houses in Utqiagvik

  • Whalebone arch in Utquiagvik. Whales were a subsistence resource in the region, and whalers would return to this arch near the waterfront when returning from hunts.

  • Memorial commemorating Will Rogers and Wiley Post located at Barrow, Alaska

  • Eskimo child in typical outfit; Point Barrow, Alaska.

  • Traditional clothing at Iñupiat Heritage Center in Utqiagvik

  • Milepost in Barrow, Alaska

  • Aerial photograph of Utqiagvik

  • Probable fogbow in Utqiagvik

  • Homes along the Arctic Ocean in Utqiagvik

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Utqiagvik, Alaska
  2. ↑ "Directory of Borough and City Officials 1974". Alaska Local Government. XIII (2): 20. January 1974.
  3. ↑ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
  4. ↑ "Utqiaġvik city, Alaska". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  5. ↑ United States Postal Service (2016). "USPS - Look Up a ZIP Code". Retrieved November 3, 2016. Only "Barrow AK 99723" is accepted by the U.S. Postal Service for addresses in Utqiagvik.
  6. ↑ Demer, Lisa (October 29, 2016). "Barrow's new name is its old one, Utqiaġvik. Local Iñupiaq leaders hope its use heals as it teaches". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  7. ↑ "Summary about Barrow NWS Station". Archived from the original on 2012-06-03. Retrieved 2012-10-21.
  8. ↑ https://mobile.twitter.com/ClimateOfGavin/status/1276603997915426816
  9. ↑ "Temperature Change in Alaska". Archived from the original on 2011-07-18. Retrieved 2020-11-02.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "NOAA Weather Data, 1991-2020".
  11. ↑ Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the highest and lowest temperature readings during an entire month or year) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.
  12. ↑ "Station Name: AK BARROW POST ROGERS AP". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved September 11, 2016.[dead link]
  13. ↑ "WMO Climate Normals for BARROW/W. POST W. ROGERS, AK 1961–1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2020-09-01.
  14. ↑ "Comparative Climatic Data For the United States Through 2018" (PDF). NOAA. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 September 2020. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  15. ↑ "Monthly weather forecast and climate - Barrow, AK". Weather Atlas. Retrieved April 7, 2020.

Other websites


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