Climate Watch

By Rick Thoman Alaska Climate Specialist Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy International Arctic Research Center/University of Alaska Fairbanks

The 51st Iditarod Sled Dog Race is underway with dog teams headed toward Nome. Who could have imagined in 1973 that this event, which brings Nome into the international spotlight every spring, would become what it is today?

Over the years the weather has thrown big challenges at mushers and their teams.

In 1981, driving rain and warm temperatures between Anvik and Unalakleet caused ice bridges to fail, marooning some teams for a day or two.

The following year brought rain to the area between Nulato and Kaltag as teams were passing through. Some years, teams have to find their way through deep snow, other years there is a lack of snow.

No snow has been a challenge over the years, and three times, 2003, 2015 and 2017, the restart has been moved to Fairbanks due to a lack of snow in Alaska Range or Southcentral.

The most consistent challenge weatherwise is of course on the Norton Sound coast. Blizzards have stymied teams since early days, but also provided opportunities for others. In 1985 Libby Riddles, who was not on anybody’s short list of potential winners, left Shaktoolik in the midst of a blizzard that pinned down other teams, and her Tellertrained dogs helped push her through to the first victory by a woman.

In 1992, Bob Hickel, son of thenAlaska governor Wally Hickel, and three other mushers were pinned down on the Solomon flats for a day before being able to limp into Safety.

In 2014, Jeff King left White Mountain apparently cruising to his fifth victory, only to be blown off the trail in a severe ground storm near Topkok. He accepted outside help and thus his race was over. Conditions were so poor east of Nome that year, when winner Dallas Seavey crossed the finish line, he thought he was in third place, but he unknowingly passed King and Aliy Zirkle in the storm.

In 2019 the lack of stable shore fast sea ice forced rerouting of parts of the race trail and we saw the now iconic but at the time shocking spectacle of Iditarod teams coming into Nome with open water just beyond the beach.

Just last year, six teams near the back of the pack were forced to scratch after heading out from White Mountain only to be hit with very strong north winds and a dangerously ice-glazed trail in the Topkok Hills.