Whale bones form a monument to lost sailors in Utqiagvik, Alaska, overlooking the Arctic Ocean. (AP Photo/Laura Rauch)
At 2:16 a.m., the sun finally dipped below the horizon, marking the first official night in 83 days for Utqiaġvik, Alaska, the northernmost town in the United States.
UtqiaÄ¡vik, formerly known as Barrow, lies well north of the Arctic Circle. During the weeks around the summer solstice, the town is bathed in perpetual sunlight as the Earth’s north pole tilts toward the sun.
The last sunset occurred on May 10. Since then, residents have lived in constant daylight, with the sun occasionally dropping down toward the horizon but never fully disappearing.
The first night in months was brief, only lasting for 35 minutes, but much longer nights are ahead.
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In this Oct. 10, 2014 photo, a lone figure walks in a sunless late-morning on a street in Barrow, Alaska. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Conversely, in the weeks surrounding the winter solstice when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted away from the sun, people in Utqiaġvik go weeks without seeing sunlight.
The phenomenon known as “polar night” starts on Nov. 19, and the sun will remain absent from the sky for 65 days until it peeks above the horizon once again on Jan. 22, 2025.
While some may think going so long without sunlight would be depressing, former UtqiaÄ¡vik Kirsten Alburg told AccuWeather that it is “such a beautiful time.”
“It ends up being this really beautiful time. You have the northern lights, and it gets cold, but there are so many lights that are out in the town, and it makes everything sparkle,” she said.
By Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protectionon
DFFP received reports of smoke near Mt. Joaquin at 8:00 PM Saturday. A DFFP helicopter responded and located the Joaquin Fire (#238) burning in black spruce and tundra roughly 31.5 miles southwest of McGrath.
Due to a nearby native allotment, additional aerial resources were ordered. The fire is currently 30 acres and has six smokejumpers, one air attack, and two single-engine water scoopers. No structures are threatened.
This map shows the location of the Joaquin Fire (#238). Click on the image to download the PDF file.
‹ Go Evacuation for Anderson due to wildland fire
Two new wildfires reported Saturday evening north of Anderson ›
Categories: Active Wildland Fire, Alaska DNR – Division of Forestry & Fire Protection (DFFP)
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Tags: 2026 Alaska Fire Season, Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection, DFFP Coastal Region, Joaquin Fire, Southwest Alaska
The crowd reacts to a performance at the Juneteenth Citywide Celebration at the Delaney Park Strip in Anchorage on Friday, June 19, 2026. (Chris Bieri / ADN)
Anchorage is commemorating Juneteenth with dancing, music and celebrations of Black excellence and culture this weekend.
The citywide Juneteenth celebration also includes opportunities for education, community gathering and reflection, and features vendors and guest speakers. The event kicked off Friday and continues from 1 to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday on the Delaney Park Strip.
A dancer performs during the Juneteenth Citywide Celebration at the Delaney Park Strip in Anchorage on Friday, June 19, 2026. (Chris Bieri / ADN) A young drummer performs during the Juneteenth Citywide Celebration at the Delaney Park Strip in Anchorage on Friday, June 19, 2026. (Chris Bieri / ADN) Tragil Wade, an entrepreneur, author and inspirational speaker, takes the stage at the Juneteenth Citywide Celebration at the Delaney Park Strip in Anchorage on Friday, June 19, 2026. (Chris Bieri / ADN)
Tragil Wade, an entrepreneur, author and inspirational speaker who is the big sister of former NBA great Dwyane Wade, was Friday’s special guest.
Saturday’s festivities, spotlighting the theme “Community and Culture,” kicked off with a freedom rally and parade. Saturday also features a youth segment, hip-hop dancing, community line dancing, multiple DJs and a performance from Soul Society.
“Faith and Family” is the theme for Sunday’s festivities. There will be a special Father’s Day opening at 1 p.m., a praise cardio session on the grass and an HBCU gospel segment. The afternoon will close with a community praise dance.
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Juneteenth commemorates the day that the last slaves in the Confederacy were informed of their freedom following the Emancipation Proclamation on June 19, 1865. Long celebrated by Black Americans, Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021. In 2023, the Anchorage Assembly made Juneteenth an official city holiday, and in 2024, the Alaska Legislature passed a bill to designate Juneteenth as a state holiday.
Members of the crowd cheer during a performance at the Juneteenth Citywide Celebration at the Delaney Park Strip in Anchorage on Friday, June 19, 2026. (Chris Bieri / ADN) A young drummer focuses during a performance at the Juneteenth Citywide Celebration at the Delaney Park Strip in Anchorage on Friday, June 19, 2026. (Chris Bieri / ADN)
A pilot was killed in a plane crash in mountainous terrain near Cordova, Alaska State Troopers said Friday.
The agency was notified of the overdue Piper Pacer around 8 p.m. Thursday, troopers said in an online post. The pilot was believed to be the sole person on board the aircraft, which was thought to be flying between Yakutat and Fairbanks, troopers said.
Aircraft from the Alaska Air National Guard and Alaska Wildlife Troopers started searching for the plane, and a Guard helicopter crew found the overdue Piper Pacer around 4 p.m. Friday where it had crashed near Kanak Island, about 40 miles southeast of Cordova, troopers said.
The pilot, whom troopers did not identify, was found dead in the crashed plane, troopers said. His body was take to the State Medical Examiner Office in Anchorage for autopsy and positive identification, according to troopers.
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Troopers said the pilot’s next of kin and the National Transportation Safety Board were notified.
. Click on the image to download the PDF file.
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This map shows the location of the Joaquin Fire (#238). Click on the image to download the PDF file.
