Lack of snow: Iditarod dog sled race moved north

Lack of snow has forced the Iditarod dog sled race to relocate its traditional start today- Monday, from Anchorage to Fairbanks, Alaska,  for the second time in the history of the event.

The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is an annual long-distance  sled dog race run in early March and a team of 16 dogs, of which at least 6 must be on the towline at the finish line, cover the distance in 9–15 days or more.  The Iditarod began in 1973 as an event to test the best sled dog mushers and teams but evolved into today's highly competitive race

A stalled jet stream pushed Arctic air and snow into the U.S. Midwest and the East Coast, but kept Alaska fairly warm and dry this winter, especially south of the Alaska Range where the Iditarod was due to begin. Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city, received only about a third of its normal winter snowfall, making for treacherous trail conditions and forcing race officials to make the course adjustment.

City crews overnight delivered up to 350 dump truck loads of snow and spread it out over city blocks so the show could go on. City maintenance workers stockpiled snow from neighborhoods the past few months and kept it for winter events, culminating with the Iditarod, said Paul VanLandingham with the public works department.

The festivities started Saturday morning in very un-Iditarod-like conditions — almost 40 degrees with a light rain falling before the start.

This year's Iditarod includes 78 mushers, including six former champions and 20 rookies. The winner will receive a $70,000 purse, $19,600 more than what defending champion Dallas Seavey earned last year.