A lack of snow in Anchorage, Alaska, is forcing organizers of the famous Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race to ship tons of it in by train for the event’s ceremonial start on Saturday.

The mild winter in Anchorage, the state’s largest city, also could mean a shortened version of the 11-mile route, a fan-friendly event that is held a day earlier than the actual start of the race. On Saturday, temperatures are expected to be above freezing.

The competitive start of the nearly 1,000-mile race will be held Sunday in Willow, 50 miles north of Anchorage.

Iditarod officials couldn’t immediately be reached Tuesday, but CEO Stan Hooley told the Alaska Dispatch News that the ceremonial start may need to be shortened after days of higher temperatures further eroded the minimal snow on area trails.

The snow shipped from hundreds of miles away will supplement snow the area has been stockpiling.



Last year, dismal snow conditions forced officials to relocate the race 295 miles north to Fairbanks, fundamentally altering the route originally used in the 1925 serum run to Nome.