Low snowfall shortens Iditarod Ceremonial Start

Low snowfall and an abnormally warm winter in South Central Alaska caused yet another change to this year’s Iditarod. After the Iditarod Trail Committee announced last week that the restart is moving from Willow to Fairbanks, the ceremonial start in Anchorage is now being shortened due to weather conditions.

In a typical year, teams would run 11 miles. This year, they will run about a mile and a half. There simply isn’t enough snow. Even with the shorter route, the Iditarod Trail Committee has to ship snow into Anchorage.

The shorter route means each team will likely reach the finish within fifteen minutes.

According to the CEO of the Iditarod Trail Committee Rob Urbach, race fans in Anchorage won’t see any difference in the race start ceremony even with the shorter route. He said, “The thrill of witnessing some of the world’s top sled dogs in action will continue to create an electrifying atmosphere.”

The Iditarod Trail Committee stated they will continue to monitor weather conditions and make further adjustments to the overall route if needed.