Barrow, Alaska—officially renamed Utqiaġvik in 2016—undergoes one of the most striking seasonal events found anywhere on Earth: the annual polar night. This natural phenomenon is the result of the town’s position above the Arctic Circle at approximately 71° North latitude, placing it within a region that experiences extreme variations in daylight throughout the year. According to the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC, 2023), communities at this latitude can experience prolonged periods when the sun remains continuously below or above the horizon depending on the season.

Each winter, the sun sets in mid-November and does not rise again for roughly two months. In the 2025–2026 winter season, the sun will set on November 18, 2025, and will not reappear until January 22, 2026, creating a span of about 67 days without a sunrise. While this is commonly described as “total darkness,” scientists clarify that the term is somewhat misleading. Because of atmospheric scattering, Utqiaġvik still receives civil and nautical twilight around midday, meaning residents experience a faint blue-tinged light for several hours depending on cloud cover and snow conditions. The National Weather Service (NWS–Alaska Region) and U.S. Naval Observatory routinely track and confirm these annual light cycles.

The occurrence of polar night is caused by Earth’s axial tilt of approximately 23.5 degrees, which positions the Arctic region in continuous shadow during the northern hemisphere winter. NASA explains that as the Earth orbits the Sun, the tilt prevents sunlight from reaching areas above the Arctic Circle for extended periods (NASA Earth Observatory, 2022). This same mechanism produces the opposite phenomenon in summer—known as the midnight sun—when Utqiaġvik experiences over 80 consecutive days of constant daylight.

Utqiaġvik is the northernmost city in the United States, and its unique solar patterns have made it a focus of scientific research in fields ranging from atmospheric studies to human health. Medical experts have examined the effects of prolonged darkness on well-being, particularly the potential link to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a depressive condition influenced by reduced exposure to natural light. The Mayo Clinic (2024) and National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) note that while SAD involves multiple contributing factors, limited daylight can disrupt circadian rhythms and melatonin levels, increasing vulnerability in some individuals.

Despite these challenges, residents of Utqiaġvik are accustomed to the seasonal rhythm and have developed cultural and practical adaptations, including community activities, artificial light strategies, and winter traditions that celebrate resilience in one of the most extreme inhabited environments on the planet. The polar night remains both a scientific point of interest and a defining feature of life at the top of the United States.