Deadhorse, Alaska

The Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, area was developed to house personnel, provide support for drilling operations, and transport oil to the Alaskan pipeline.{{cite web |url=http://www.myalaskan.com/alaska-towns/prudhoebay.html |title=Prudhoe Bay - Visit Alaska |publisher=Myalaskan.com |date=April 17, 2012 |access-date=May 16, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130315125345/http://www.myalaskan.com/alaska-towns/prudhoebay.html |archive-date=March 15, 2013}} Prior to 1977, oil seeps (small pores or fissure networks through which liquid petroleum emerges at the surface of the land){{cite web |url=http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/oil+seep |title=oil seep definition of oil seep in the Free Online Encyclopedia |publisher=Encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com |access-date=May 16, 2013}} on the Arctic coastal plain had caught the attention of the U.S. petroleum interests. The U.S. Navy drilled for oil between 1944 and 1953 with little success. In 1967, after several attempts at drilling for oil, oil company mergers, and competitive bidding for state lease sales, the Prudhoe Bay oil field was discovered.

Sources conflict on the origin of the area's name. The most cited theory appears to be that the area takes its name from a local business prominent in the late 1960s and 1970s, the "Dead Horse Haulers" trucking company. How the trucking company got its name remains in dispute.{{cite web |url=http://www.munnwerks.com/Prudhoe/Deadhorsename.htm |title=How Deadhorse Got Its Name(From the Prudhoe Bay Journal by Deborah Bernard) |website=www.colvilleinc.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200714211516/http://www.munnwerks.com/Prudhoe/Deadhorsename.htm |archive-date=July 14, 2020}}

In February 2023, a "high altitude object" about the size of a small car was shot down near the area after a decision by President Joe Biden.{{Cite web |last=Downing |first=Suzanne |date=February 10, 2023 |title=Breaking: Air Force shoots down item over Prudhoe; temporary flight restriction over Deadhorse, as Air Force C-130 circles Prudhoe Bay |url=https://mustreadalaska.com/breaking-temporary-flight-restriction-over-deadhorse-as-air-force-c-130-circles-prudhoe-bay/ |access-date=February 12, 2023 |website=Must Read Alaska |language=en-US}}

{{US Census population

|1970= 163

|1980= 64

|1990= 26

|align-fn=center

|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/prod/www/decennial.html |title=U.S. Decennial Census |publisher=Census.gov |access-date=June 6, 2013}}

}}

Deadhorse first appeared on the 1970 U.S. Census as an unincorporated village. It was made a census-designated place (CDP) in 1980. It appeared last on the 1990 census. After 2000, it was merged into the Prudhoe Bay CDP.

File:General store, Deadhorse, Alaska (2003).jpg

Tourists traveling to Deadhorse and Prudhoe Bay typically take tour buses from Fairbanks via the James Dalton Highway, a two-day journey with an overnight stop in Coldfoot. During the summer months, visitors can arrange for tours to the Arctic Ocean via a guided tour only. There is no longer any public Arctic Ocean access from Deadhorse. All tours must be booked 24 hours in advance to allow time for background checks on all passengers going through the oilfield check point. Tourists can also experience the midnight sun due to Deadhorse's location above the Arctic Circle. In winter, the opposite phenomenon, polar night, occurs.

The area often features large herds of caribou and over 200 bird and waterfowl species, including geese, swans, gulls and eagles.{{cite web |url=http://www.prudhoebay.com/communities_Deadhorse.htm |title=Deadhorse, Alaska website |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220304133026/http://www.prudhoebay.com/communities_Deadhorse.htm |archive-date=March 4, 2022 |url-status=live}} Other indigenous wildlife include Arctic foxes, Arctic ground squirrels, grizzly bears, polar bears, musk oxen, and Arctic hares.

Because alcoholic beverages are not sold in Deadhorse, a humorous slogan for the town is "All that far and still no bar."{{cite web |url=http://helenair.com/news/national/life-in-deadhorse-alaska-it-s-all-about-the-oil/article_2aca72f6-5d7b-53da-8ee5-63489c51ae72.html |title=Life in Deadhorse, Alaska: It's all about the oil |access-date=September 11, 2017 |work=Independent Record |date=August 10, 2006}}

The town serves as a start/end or turn-around point of several motorcycle-riding challenges offered by the Iron Butt Association. One of these, the Ultimate Coast to Coast, gives riders 30 days to travel between Deadhorse and Key West (the southernmost city in the contiguous United States) in either direction.{{cite web |url=http://www.ironbutt.com/ridecerts/getdocument.cfm?DocID=22 |title=Ultimate Coast to Coast |access-date=May 25, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130402025629/http://www.ironbutt.com/ridecerts/getdocument.cfm?DocID=22 |archive-date=April 2, 2013}}

Deadhorse Airport (IATA: SCC, ICAO: PASC, FAA LID: SCC) is a public airport located in Deadhorse on the North Slope of Alaska. Being near Prudhoe Bay it is sometimes called Prudhoe Airport.

Like all of the North Slope, Deadhorse features a cold and dry tundra climate (Köppen ET), as even the hottest month, July, has a daily average temperature of only {{convert|48|F}}, although Deadhorse reaches {{convert|80|F}} on average once every four years. Deadhorse averages

four days per year where temperatures reach {{convert|70|F}} or more. Since 1968, the only years that failed to reach that mark were 1972 and 1980.{{cite tweet |user=AlaskaWx |number=1421628045379596290 |title=High temperature through 4pm AKDT Saturday of 70F at Deadhorse Airport at Prudhoe Bay. This is the tenth day this summer at 70F or higher, the most there in any summer since 1994. The upward trend is significant.}} Precipitation is very light, averaging only {{convert|5.70|in|1|abbr=on}}, including only {{convert|23.73|in|cm|1|abbr=on}} of snow – less snowfall than even the warmest places in the Alaska Panhandle like Ketchikan. The mean annual temperature is {{convert|14|F}}, with maximum temperatures reliably remaining below freezing from early/mid October to late April. As the area is located in USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 2,{{cite web |author=The Arbor Day Foundation |url=http://www.arborday.org/treeinfo/ZoneInfo.cfm?ZipCode=99734&submit=Look+it+up |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140915072940/http://www.arborday.org/treeinfo/ZoneInfo.cfm?ZipCode=99734&submit=Look+it+up |url-status=live |archive-date=September 15, 2014 |title=The Arbor Day Foundation |publisher=Arborday.org |access-date=May 16, 2013 }} temperatures below {{convert|-40|F}} can be expected during the height of winter.

• Longest day: 63 days, 23 hours, 40 minutes (12:09 a.m. on May 20 to 11:18 p.m. on July 22)
• Shortest day: 45 min (11:42 a.m. to 12:27 p.m. on November 24)
• Longest night: 54 days, 22 hours, 51 min (12:27 p.m. on November 24 to 11:18 a.m. on January 18)
• Shortest night: 26 min (11:43 p.m. on May 19 to 12:09 a.m. on May 20)
• Highest recorded temperature: {{convert|89|F}} on August 6, 2024
• Lowest recorded temperature: {{convert|−62|F}} on January 27, 1989
• Highest wind speed recorded: {{convert|95|kn|mph km/h|lk=in}} on February 25, 1989
• Official lowest wind chill: {{convert|−102|F}} on January 28, 1989 (air temperature of {{convert|−54|F}}) and wind speed of {{convert|31|kn|mph km/h|abbr=on}}

{{Weather box

|location = Deadhorse Airport, Alaska, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1968–present

|single line = Yes

|Jan record high F = 40

|Feb record high F = 40

|Mar record high F = 37

|Apr record high F = 43

|May record high F = 55

|Jun record high F = 83

|Jul record high F = 85

|Aug record high F = 89

|Sep record high F = 70

|Oct record high F = 54

|Nov record high F = 39

|Dec record high F = 39

|Jan avg record high F = 21.0

|Feb avg record high F = 17.3

|Mar avg record high F = 17.8

|Apr avg record high F = 29.3

|May avg record high F = 42.5

|Jun avg record high F = 69.2

|Jul avg record high F = 73.7

|Aug avg record high F = 70.3

|Sep avg record high F = 58.3

|Oct avg record high F = 38.0

|Nov avg record high F = 26.8

|Dec avg record high F = 20.4

|year avg record high F = 77.4

|Jan high F = -8.0

|Feb high F = -7.7

|Mar high F = -6.6

|Apr high F = 10.2

|May high F = 28.5

|Jun high F = 46.2

|Jul high F = 55.0

|Aug high F = 49.7

|Sep high F = 39.3

|Oct high F = 23.8

|Nov high F = 8.3

|Dec high F = -2.8

|year high F =

|Jan mean F = -14.9

|Feb mean F = -14.8

|Mar mean F = -13.8

|Apr mean F = 2.8

|May mean F = 23.6

|Jun mean F = 39.9

|Jul mean F = 47.3

|Aug mean F = 43.5

|Sep mean F = 34.6

|Oct mean F = 18.3

|Nov mean F = 1.7

|Dec mean F = -9.2

|year mean F =

|Jan low F = -21.7

|Feb low F = -21.8

|Mar low F = -21.0

|Apr low F = -4.5

|May low F = 18.7

|Jun low F = 33.6

|Jul low F = 39.7

|Aug low F = 37.4

|Sep low F = 30.0

|Oct low F = 12.8

|Nov low F = -4.9

|Dec low F = -15.7

|year low F =

|Jan avg record low F = -43.3

|Feb avg record low F = -44.9

|Mar avg record low F = -40.6

|Apr avg record low F = -26.6

|May avg record low F = -2.6

|Jun avg record low F = 25.4

|Jul avg record low F = 32.1

|Aug avg record low F = 29.2

|Sep avg record low F = 17.7

|Oct avg record low F = -10.6

|Nov avg record low F = -25.6

|Dec avg record low F = -37.1

|year avg record low F = -47.2

|Jan record low F = -62

|Feb record low F = -58

|Mar record low F = -54

|Apr record low F = -47

|May record low F = -24

|Jun record low F = 18

|Jul record low F = 28

|Aug record low F = 23

|Sep record low F = -4

|Oct record low F = -30

|Nov record low F = -45

|Dec record low F = -53

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation inch = 0.25

|Feb precipitation inch = 0.13

|Mar precipitation inch = 0.14

|Apr precipitation inch = 0.21

|May precipitation inch = 0.30

|Jun precipitation inch = 0.57

|Jul precipitation inch = 1.00

|Aug precipitation inch = 1.37

|Sep precipitation inch = 0.64

|Oct precipitation inch = 0.40

|Nov precipitation inch = 0.33

|Dec precipitation inch = 0.36

|year precipitation inch = 5.70

|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in

|Jan precipitation days = 1.6

|Feb precipitation days = 1.8

|Mar precipitation days = 2.0

|Apr precipitation days = 1.7

|May precipitation days = 3.1

|Jun precipitation days = 4.8

|Jul precipitation days = 8.5

|Aug precipitation days = 10.6

|Sep precipitation days = 8.7

|Oct precipitation days = 6.3

|Nov precipitation days = 3.1

|Dec precipitation days = 2.5

|source 1 = NOAA

{{cite web

|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USW00027406&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL

|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

|title = U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Deadhorse AP, AK

|access-date = August 11, 2023

}}

|source 2 = National Weather Service

{{cite web

|url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/climate?wfo=afg

|publisher = National Weather Service

|title = NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Fairbanks

|access-date = August 11, 2023

}}

{{cite web

|url = https://xmacis.rcc-acis.org/

|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

|title = xmACIS2

|access-date = August 11, 2023

}}

}}

Deadhorse (including Prudhoe Bay) is classified as an isolated town/Sub-Regional Center. It is found in EMS Region 6A in the North Slope Region. Emergency Services have limited highway, coastal, and airport access. Emergency service is provided by paid EMS service and Fairweather Deadhorse Medical Clinic. Auxiliary health care is provided by oil company medical staff and the Greater Prudhoe Bay Fire Dept. Individuals requiring hospital care are usually transported to the nearest hospital/medical center, Samuel Simmonds Memorial Hospital, in Utqiagvik, Alaska. Because no roads connect Deadhorse to Utqiagvik, individuals are transported by plane or helicopter (an approximately 45 minute flight).{{cite web |url=http://articles.ktuu.com/2009-05-01/oil-drilling_24126440 |title=Far North - Prudhoe Bay |access-date=October 22, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141030102148/http://articles.ktuu.com/2009-05-01/oil-drilling_24126440 |archive-date=October 30, 2014}} Far North - Prudhoe Bay Information

• A highly fictionalized version of Deadhorse, AK appears in the Deadhorse comic book series, by Eric Grissom, Phil Sloan, Marissa Louise, and David Halvorson.{{cite web |url=http://www.deadhorsecomic.com |title=Deadhorse |author1=Grissom, Eric |author2=Sloan, Phil |author3=Louise, Marissa |author4=Halvorson, David |website=deadhorsecomic.com |publisher=Frankenstein's Daughter}}{{cite book |title=Dead Birds (Deadhorse #1) |author1=Grissom, Eric |author2=Sloan, Phil |author3=Louise, Marissa |author4=Halvorson, David |url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17437212-dead-birds |publisher=Frankenstein's Daughter |date=2013}}

• Deadhorse is the subject of the second episode of America's Toughest Jobs
• Deadhorse is featured on the third through sixth seasons of Ice Road Truckers, a reality television series airing on the History Channel;{{cite web |url=http://www.history.com/content/iceroadtruckers-season-three |title=Ice Road Truckers Episode Guide - Season 6 |publisher=History.com |access-date=May 16, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100209153548/http://www.history.com/content/iceroadtruckers-season-three/ |archive-date=February 9, 2010}} it dramatizes trucking on the Dalton Highway and often features truckers transporting equipment to the oil companies located in or around the Prudhoe Bay area.
• It is briefly featured in the first, second, and third seasons of the BBC's Life Below Zero.
• It is featured in the first episode of the BBC's World's Most Dangerous Roads
• It is featured in the X-Files, season 2, episode 17: "End Game".

• The album Deadhorse (Deluxe Edition) by the group Dirt Poor Robins occurs in Deadhorse.

Deadhorse Sign.JPG|Sign at General Store, Deadhorse, Alaska (January 2008)

General store, Deadhorse, Alaska (2003).jpg|Deadhorse General Store (2003)

Dalton Highway facing south from Deadhorse.jpg|The Dalton Highway at Deadhorse (July 2010)

{{reflist}}

{{Commons category|Deadhorse, Alaska}}

{{wikivoyage|Deadhorse}}

• [http://www.prudhoebay.com/communities_Deadhorse.htm Deadhorse Alaska website]
• [http://www.weatherforyou.com/weather/alaska/deadhorse.html Deadhorse local weather]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20090509082856/http://www.blm.gov/ak/st/en/prog/recreation/dalton_hwy.html Dalton Highway]

• Dead horse (disambiguation)

{{North Slope Borough, Alaska}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Unincorporated communities in North Slope Borough, Alaska

Category:Unincorporated communities in Alaska

Category:Populated places of the Arctic United States

Category:Populated coastal places in Alaska on the Arctic Ocean