Alaska's Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is scheduled to kick off Saturday, March 7 with a ceremonial run through Anchorage, but when it does, there will be something different about the race this year. And no, it will not look more like the movie Snow Dogs, although that would be pretty awesome if it did. Or terrible. I can't decide.
It appears that this year's Iditarod is having a bit of a snow-mergency. Instead of there being too much snow at once, as most snow-related concerns go, there isn't enough.
The starting point of the race has been moved 225 miles north of its usual location in Willow to Fairbanks due to a lack of snow in the area this year, according to Mashable. This is only the second time the start of the race has ever been moved from its original location since it officially began in 1973. Race officials have also been feverishly filling areas of the course with snow in preparation for its kickoff tomorrow using snow machines, sleds and shovels.
As one might expect, having enough snow during a sled dog race is crucial. Last year, mushers were injured as they made their way through the nearly 1,000-mile course that runs from Anchorage to Nome. One musher had to be picked up by a rescue helicopter because he was left unconscious after knocking his head on a tree stump. The conditions are even worse this year, according to Iditarod officials, as reported by The Associated Press.
While the Northeast, particularly New England, has experienced a particularly harsh winter this year, snowfall in Alaska has been unusually light. Anchorage typically gets 60 inches of snow a year, but this year it has only gotten 20 inches, according to The Associated Press. This is due to the jet stream bringing warm air from the Pacific Ocean.
This year's race will include 78 mushers. Six of them have won the Iditarod previously, while 20 mushers are newbies to the race. It usually takes about 10 days for the winner to make it through the course to Nome. The race officially starts Monday, March 9, and you can actually live stream the big finish over on the Iditarod's official website if you like.
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