FAIRBANKS -- The wettest summer in the history of Fairbanks continues to show no sign of drying out. The opening hours of September 2014 brought about 2.24 inches of rain, the most in any 24-hour period in any September for as long as records have been kept, all the way back to the early 1900s.
As of noon Tuesday, it was already one of the 10 wettest Septembers on record, as those who are out hunting will testify. Add this to the 12 inches of rain that fell from June through August and the ground remained near saturation levels as fall approaches.
Fairbanks had more than 30 days of rain during the heat of summer, several more than the average, and when it rained it poured. There were four days with at least 1 inch of rain in 2014; since 1915, there have only been 48 days on which more than an inch fell. The 10 wettest days of the year brought nearly 11 inches of rain, close to the normal annual precipitation total, including snowfall.
While the storm on Monday brought snow to parts of the Brooks Range and Alaska Range, it was warm enough in the Fairbanks area to fall as heavy rain, with temperatures on the cool side. The Denali Park Road had 5 inches of snow overnight at a 3,980-foot pass, which led to a brief closure.