The highest temperature of 86°F was observed on the 23^rd of June, close to the summer equinox with over 21½ hours of sunlight. June 23^rd was also the day with the highest mean daily temperature of 71.0°F. There were only five days with temperatures at or above 80°F, less than half the long-term normal of twelve days. The lowest temperature of the year was -51°F, occurring on the 29^th of January, while the 28^th of January was the coldest day in terms of the daily mean temperature at -46.0°F. There were a total of 26 days with lows at or below -40°F, more than twice the long term normal of eleven days. The only temperature record for 2012 was a new daily high set on April 16^th with 61°F, topping the 1993 record of 59°F.

Looking at the temperature data by month, it can clearly be seen that the colder than normals temperatures were not evenly distributed throughout the year. Below average temperatures were more prominent during the winter months, while summer experienced more normal temperatures. January had the greatest deviation of -19.0°F. The actual mean temperature for the month was a frigid -26.9°F, the coldest January in more than 40 years. Large negative deviations were also observed in December (-13.2°F), November (-11.4°F) and March (-6.9°F), while February was above normal with a positive deviation of 7.2°F. The rest of the year had no other remarkable deviations from the long-term mean.

The temperatures of Alaska are strongly affected by the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, which is an index derived from the surface temperature of the waters of the North Pacific Ocean. Warm temperatures in Alaska are related to positive PDO values, while negative values indicate below normal temperatures. Before 1975 this index was predominantly negative, and the temperatures up to that time tended to be cool. After 1976 the PDO values switched to predominantly positive and warmer temperatures were observed. With the start of the new century, the PDO values trended to the negative again, and a cooling started. With colder surface waters, the semi-permanent Aleutian Low weakens, and less warm air is advected into Alaska. While this is of minor importance in summer, as days are long, in winter the solar elevations are low, the days are short, and this transport of warmer air from the south greatly influences the Alaskan temperatures. For more details of the annual course of temperature for Fairbanks, see the figure below.

For 2012 the Precipitation total was 10.62", very close to the expected value of 10.81". Highest daily total was 0.82" and occurred on August 26^th. Five months of the year had precipitation deficits, while six had excesses. February hit its normal value of 0.42". The annual course over the year also followed fairly closely the long-term mean value, as can be seen from the third figure. 2012 was wetter than 2011, which saw a total of only 9.52". As might be expected from the near normal precipitation, the snowfall of the year was close to normal with a total of 61.7", only 3.3" below the normal of 65.0". Interestingly, this is the same snowfall total as for 2011.

Despite the near normal annual precipitation and snowfall, there were a number of records set in 2012. March 6^th saw a snowfall of 2.6", tying the previous record set way back in 1932. The precipitation equivalent was 0.17", and this was a new daily record, breaking the old record of 0.15" set in 1967. The storm continued on into the next day, and 6.9" more snow fell, smashing the 1943 record of 3.5". The precipitation equivalent came to 0.28", a new record too, topping the old 1985 record of 0.24". Then on May 25^th a total of 0.52" of rain tumbled down, just outdoing the 1973 record of 0.50". Two events occurred at the beginning of October. First, 0.21" of rain fell on the 6^th, tying the 1989 record. This was followed on the 7^th with 0.55", eclipsing the 1974 record of 0.28". A final snowstorm in December dropped 9.5" of snow on the 12^th, which broke the 1972 record of 5.7". On the same day, the precipitation equivalent was 0.72", shattering the 1972 record of 0.17".

The last day of seasonal snow cover was April 22^nd, and the last frost of the winter came on May 14^th. Green up day occurred on the 10^th of May, which is about normal. Growing degree-days totaled 1003 and the growing season was 117 days long, about average. The first frost hit on September 10^th, and the snowpack was re-established on October 15^th. As might be expected, heating degree-days was 1297 above the normal of 13666. Correspondingly, cooling degree-days totaled just 34, 27 less than expected. Mean annual wind speed was 3.3 mph, with lower values in winter, when the semi-permanent inversion decouples the surface conditions from the upper circulation.

Less than 300,000 acres burned due to forest fires, a relatively low value, as the mean over the last 50 years is about 1 million acres. This is understandable, as there were fewer hot days in 2012. Hotter days cause both a higher number of lightning strikes (starting new fires) and allow existing fires to expand. The most vexing fire for the Fairbanks area was the Dry Creek fire. It started on June 23^rd about eighteen miles south of North Pole, and continued to occasionally send smoke into the unban area until after the middle of September.