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Shaded-relief map of Big Delta, Alaska: rivers, roads, the city limits and where the water drains.
ALASKA · SOUTHEAST FAIRBANKS CENSUS AREA

Big Delta

444 people, 1,010 ft above sea level in Southeast Fairbanks Census Area.

1,010 ftElevation, city center
444People, 2024 estimate
47 sq miLand area
Sunny 17°
Sunny now Dew point 14° · W 10 mph · high 18°
City of Big Delta River Interstate 2 miles
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The Big Delta plate. Relief from Copernicus GLO-30; rivers and lakes from USGS NHD; watersheds from the USGS Watershed Boundary Dataset; roads and city limits from Census TIGER 2024.

MILE1
TODAY

Today in Big Delta

NWS forecast and National Blend of Models · updated 9:00 AM AKST
RIGHT NOW Allen Army Airfield (PABI) · 9:53 AM
Sunny
17° Sunny Feels like 5° · high of 18° near 4 PM
WindW 10 mphno gusts
Humidity88%falling to 88% this afternoon
Pressure29.34 in →steady
Visibility10 mihaze-free
CloudsClear
UV index0none after dark
Dew point 14° · Dryabout the same for three days
DryComfortableStickyMuggyOppressive
NEXT RAIN
Overcast
Tomorrow, about 4 PMin about 29 hours · 43% chance · rain
LIKELY AMOUNT0–0 inmost likely 0; 1 in 10 over 0
LAST RAINNov. 90.01 in · 5 dry days
ALERTS & OUTLOOKS
No watches or warnings for Southeast Fairbanks Census Area
NWS Fairbanks and the Storm Prediction Center · checked 10:45 AM
SUN & MOON
↑ 9:08 AM3:46 PM ↓
6 h 37 m of daylight, 6 minutes less than yesterday
Waxing crescent, 25% lit. Next full moon: Nov. 24.
AIR & POLLEN
—
Air quality index ·
No pollen source yet.

The next three days, hour by hour

Sky: clear, cloudy, night Rain likely National Blend of Models
SATURDAY, NOV. 14
SUNDAY, NOV. 15
MONDAY, NOV. 16
TUESDAY, NOV. 17
10a
1p
4p
7p
10p
1a
4a
7a
10a
1p
4p
7p
10p
1a
4a
7a
10a
1p
4p
7p
10p
1a
4a
7a
overcast
overcast
overcast
overcast
overcast
overcast
overcast
mostly cloudy night
overcast
overcast
rain
rain
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy day
partly cloudy day
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
TEMPERATURE °F
14°
18°
14°
18°
16°
21°
17°
CHANCE OF RAIN
43% · 0.00 in Sunday afternoon 50%
WIND, MPH
6
5
3
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
4
5
5
5
5
6
5
5
5
6
7
6
5
2
HOW IT FEELS · DEW POINT
Dry: dew points 12 to 17°

The next seven days, and how sure we are

Forecast, with the range 8 in 10 ensemble members agree on Normal, about 14° / 1°
SAT Nov. 14 Cloudy Cloudy
18° 13°
0% rain — W 6 A
SUN Nov. 15 Chance of showers Chance of showers
19° 14°
40% rain — SSW 1 B
MON Nov. 16 Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy
22° 15°
10% rain — ESE 5 C
TUE Nov. 17 Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy
21° 14°
20% rain — E 5 B
WED Nov. 18 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
25° 21°
0% rain — ESE 22, gusts 33 C
THU Nov. 19 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
27° 19°
10% rain — ESE 24, gusts 32 C
FRI Nov. 20 Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy
24° 15°
20% rain — E 5 B
How sure are we? AModels agree: highs within 4° BSome spread: within 8° CWide spread: check back
Range from the National Blend of Models percentiles · graded on Forecast Scores
AIR MAIL

Where today’s air came from

The air arriving over Big Delta about 5,000 feet above the ground was over the Arctic Ocean three days ago, and over interior Alaska a day ago, about 960 miles back along its path. The nine paths traced from around the city fan out, so treat that as a best guess. It came down from about 14,700 feet up, warming and drying as it sank. Near the ground the air came from Canada; at 10,000 feet, from a point about 7,750 miles to the east. It has stayed over land, which is why it feels dry. Traced back 72 hours through NOAA’s hourly RAP analyses and the GFS beyond them, nine paths at each of three heights.

THIS WEEK IN 1976 Nov. 13, 1976

The hottest this week has been

46° on Nov. 13, 1976, the hottest reading for this week of the year since 1917. Next is 45° in 1997.

45°
46°
19971976
Source: NOAA RCC-ACIS, the Delta Junction Area threaded record since 1917.
MILE2
THE GROUND

What Big Delta stands on

Big Delta’s center stands about 1,010 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 970 ft to 1,670 ft, a difference of 700 ft: hilly country. The highest named summit within 15 miles is Fourmile Hill, about 1,280 ft, 4 miles east.

Big Delta, cut in half from south to north

A section south to north, 24 miles through the town center
1,000 ft1,250 ft1,500 ft1,750 ft BIG DELTA1,010 ftDelta Riverabout 1,010 ftLow point940 ft ← SN →

Heights every 0.1 mile from the Copernicus GLO-90 surface model; vertical exaggeration about 22×.

Heights from Copernicus GLO-90 (a surface model: it includes buildings and tree canopy); summits from USGS GNIS; rivers from USGS NHDPlus HR.
MILE5
THE ALMANAC

Big Delta’s year

1991–2020 normals · records since 1917 · Big Delta Airport, 12 mi south-southeast

Big Delta has a dry-winter subarctic climate. Summer afternoons average 70° in July; winter nights fall to about −8° in January. About 10 inches of rain fall in a normal year.

6°−8°16°−1°25°4°44°23°59°38°68°49°70°52°65°47°53°36°33°20°15°1°9°−5° JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 1234 TODAY BIG DELTA 10.3 in rain a year
Normal high to low, by month Record high to low, by day Rain by month Freezing
July, average70° / 52°high / low, the warmest month
January, average6° / −8°high / low, the coldest month
Rain a year10.3 inwettest months: July and June
Hottest on record92°FJune 15, 1969
Coldest on record−63°FJanuary 30, 1947
Wettest day on record2.27 inJuly 28, 2008
Snowiest day on record10.4 inOctober 18, 1981
Nights at or below 32°218and 152 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeDry-winter subarcticKöppen Dwc

AROUND THE RING

1Freeze seasonfrom the first fall freeze, about Sept. 3, to the last in spring, about May 18 (median dates)
2Highs below freezingOct. 18 to March 30; normal highs stay below 32°
3Lows below freezingSept. 26 to April 29; normal lows fall below 32°
4Wettest stretchJune through August: 6.6 of the year’s 10.3 inches
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Big Delta normally reaches 14° and falls to 1°. The record high is 45°, in 2022; the record low −36°, in 1973. The most rain on this date, 0.21 in, fell in 1993.

MONTH BY MONTH
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Normal high6°16°25°44°59°68°70°65°53°33°15°9°
Normal low−8°−1°4°23°38°49°52°47°36°20°1°−5°
Rain, inches0.210.230.180.200.762.182.372.020.900.590.410.23
Record high54° (2009)51° (2024)58° (1981)72° (1979)90° (1947)92° (1969)91° (1958)90° (1994)79° (1963)74° (2003)52° (1979)55° (1985)
Record low−63° (1947)−60° (1947)−49° (1964)−37° (1944)−1° (1945)26° (2006)32° (1971)22° (1948)−2° (1983)−39° (1975)−47° (1986)−62° (1946)

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1917 from the Delta Junction Area threaded record (Big Delta Airport, 12 miles south-southeast, 260 ft higher). NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.
MILE7
ON THE NETWORK

Around Big Delta on the Forecast Network

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FORECASTCITY
Map of Big Delta, Alaska. Explore the plate
ALASKA · SOUTHEAST FAIRBANKS

Big Delta

444 people, 1,010 ft above sea level in Southeast Fairbanks Census Area.

1,010 ftElevation
444People
47 sq miLand
Sunny 17°
SunnyDew point 14°
1

Today in Big Delta

NEXT 15 HOURS
Now overcast 14° 0%
1p overcast 16° 0%
4p overcast 18° 0%
7p overcast 18° 0%
10p overcast 17° 0%
1a mostly cloudy night 17° 0%
Overcast
NEXT RAINTomorrow about 4 PM · 43%
→
Sat0%
Cloudy Cloudy
13
18
A
Sun40%
Chance of showers Chance of showers
14
19
B
Mon10%
Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy
15
22
C
Tue20%
Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy
14
21
B
Wed0%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
21
25
C
Thu10%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
19
27
C
Fri20%
Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy
15
24
B
Letters show how sure the forecast is: A, models agree; B, some spread; C, check back. Sample data.
THIS WEEK IN 1976 · NOV. 13, 1976

46°, the hottest this week of the year has been since 1917.

2

What Big Delta stands on

Big Delta’s center stands about 1,010 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 970 ft to 1,670 ft, a difference of 700 ft: hilly country. The highest named summit within 15 miles is Fourmile Hill, about 1,280 ft, 4 miles east.

Big Delta, south to north Big Delta1,010 ftDelta Riverabout 1,010 ft ← SN → 24 miles through the town center; vertical exaggeration about 43×.
Elevation, center1,010 ft
Within 3 miles970 to 1,670 ft
Lie of the landHilly (700 ft of relief)
High point nearbyFourmile Hill, 1,280 ft, 4 mi east
5

Big Delta’s year

Big Delta has a dry-winter subarctic climate. Summer afternoons average 70° in July; winter nights fall to about −8° in January. About 10 inches of rain fall in a normal year.

JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 1234 10.3 in
July, average70° / 52° · high / low, the warmest month
January, average6° / −8° · high / low, the coldest month
Rain a year10.3 in · wettest months: July and June
Hottest on record92°F · June 15, 1969
Coldest on record−63°F · January 30, 1947
Wettest day on record2.27 in · July 28, 2008
Snowiest day on record10.4 in · October 18, 1981
Nights at or below 32°218 · and 152 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeDry-winter subarctic · Köppen Dwc
1Freeze season · from the first fall freeze, about Sept. 3, to the last in spring, about May 18 (median dates)
2Highs below freezing · Oct. 18 to March 30; normal highs stay below 32°
3Lows below freezing · Sept. 26 to April 29; normal lows fall below 32°
4Wettest stretch · June through August: 6.6 of the year’s 10.3 inches
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Big Delta normally reaches 14° and falls to 1°. The record high is 45°, in 2022; the record low −36°, in 1973. The most rain on this date, 0.21 in, fell in 1993.

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1917 from the Delta Junction Area threaded record (Big Delta Airport, 12 miles south-southeast, 260 ft higher). NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.