This Alaska town won’t see the sun for more than 2 months

Updated: Nov 18, 2020 / 01:56 PM CST

FAIRBANKS, Alaska (NewsNation Now) — Wednesday’s sunrise in America’s northernmost city was its last for 66 days.

The National Weather Service in Fairbanks said that following the sunset at 1:30 p.m. Alaska Standard Time Wednesday, it will be dark in the Alaskan town of Utqiaġvik until January 23, 2021.

Forecasters said it’s part of a 66-day period of polar night, when the sun doesn’t rise above the horizon.

At 1:30pm AKST this afternoon, the sun will set and Utqiaġvik will enter a 66 day period of polar night. The sun will rise again on January 23rd, 2021. #akwx pic.twitter.com/iN4KXGxBh9
— NWS Fairbanks (@NWSFairbanks) November 18, 2020

State officials said the daylight returns as the pole begins its swing back toward the sun.

The city, which was formerly known as Barrow until it was restored to its traditional Inupiaq name in 2016, also experiences more than 80 days of round-the-clock sunlight in the summer.