Yes, it is very dark and cold way up there in the far north

By Don Quilici

This is an annual report on Barrow, Alaska, a tiny community located in northern Alaska on the edge of the Arctic Ocean.

Barrow is noted for being the northernmost community in the entire United States. It is also noted for one other very important fact: On November 18 each year, its 2,000 residents experience an event that most of us have never experienced.

Today, the sun dips below the horizon at Barrow for the last time for that year. It will not peek back up again until January 24, the following year.

That's a period of more than two months without sunshine: 24 hours a day, seven days a week with no sun!

Weather wise, the forecast for Barrow for today is a high of 1 degree and a low of 2 degrees, which is balmy for that location for this time of the year.

If you think that Barrow is cold and dark, check out these locations in the Far North:

Alaska:

Nome: A high of 28 degrees and a low of 15 degrees.

Fairbanks: High of 17 degrees and low of 8 degrees.

Umiat: High of 5 and low of -3.

Nuiqsut: High of -7, low of -12.

Northwest Territories:

Yellowknife: High of 10 degrees and low of -3 degrees.

Inuvik: High of 1, low of 4 and a wind chill factor of -30 degrees.

Sachs Harbor: High of -4, low of -8 and a bone-numbing wind chill of -52 degrees.

Nunavut:

Resolute: High of 5 degrees, low of -9 degrees and wind chill of -23 degrees.

Arctic Bay: High of -11 and low of -15.

Alert: High of -25 and low of -36.

Eureka: High of -35 and low of -44.

So, if you have been complaining about Carson City's cold, dark mornings, relax. You could have it a whole lot worse, if you lived at northern places like Inuvik, Sachs Harbor, Alert or Eureka.

Their temperatures and wind chills make Carson City seem almost tropical by comparison.