Starting TODAY, Utqiaġvik (Barrow), Alaska enters 64 straight days without sunrise. No sun until January 23, 2026! Locals reveal how they survive polar night, beat depression, and actually enjoy the endless dark.
On November 18, 2025, the sun set over Utqiaġvik (formerly Barrow), America’s northernmost city, and it will not rise again for the next 64 days. The last glimpse of direct sunlight disappeared at 1:39 PM local time, marking the official start of the 2025-2026 polar night that ends only on January 23, 2026. While headlines scream “total darkness,” the reality is more fascinating. Residents still get 3-4 hours of civil twilight each day, a haunting pale blue glow that turns the snow-covered Arctic into a surreal purple dreamscape. Locals call it “the best lighting for photos all year.” Life doesn’t stop; schools stay open, grocery stores stay stocked, and people actually look forward to the quiet season. Popular activities include ice bowling under the northern lights, heated community greenhouses growing fresh lettuce in -40°F, and the famous Polar Bear Plunge on New Year’s Day. Mental health is taken seriously with free light-therapy clinics, mandatory vitamin D distribution, and “Darkness Parties” where everyone wears neon to combat the gloom. Locals say the first week is the hardest, but by December they love the stillness and the brightest aurora displays on Earth. Tourists are already booking $1500+ flights just to experience one day of polar night in 2026. One resident told reporters, “We don’t miss the sun; we get the stars instead, and they’re worth it.”
Starting TODAY, Utqiaġvik (Barrow), Alaska enters 64 straight days without sunrise. No sun until January 23, 2026! Locals reveal how they survive polar night, beat depression, and actually enjoy the endless dark.
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