The classic long-distance ski race 7-mila has been cancelled due to a lack of snow for the first time since 2014, affecting over 130 registered participants and causing financial concerns for the organizers.

This is Alaska’s first fatal avalanche reported this season. It is also the country’s deadliest since February 2023.

During Iditarod 53, mushers and their sled dogs battled high winds that whipped up a sandstorm near the Tanana River, forcing teams to pause and regroup. The unexpected conditions challenged visibility and navigation, underscoring the unpredictable nature of the race.

The Iditarod Trail Committee announced that poor snow conditions made the traditional southern route untenable, forcing organizers to move the start nearly 300 miles north, from Willow to Fairbanks. The novel 1,128-mile route passes through Interior Alaska with a loop on the Yukon River. “We are all rookies,” Big Lake musher Nicolas Petit joked.

The National Weather Service says the city has had no snow at this point in the season only twice before. On average, that doesn’t usually happen until halfway through April. Last year, which turned out to be the second snowiest on record, more than 2 feet blanketed the ground on March 3.

The 90th annual Fur Rendezvous Festival kicked off Thursday around Anchorage and is expected to feature its traditional late-winter celebration, despite a winter season marred by low snowfall.

Anchorage has experienced its lowest snowfall from December to mid-February since records began in 1953, with only 4.3 inches, leading to significant changes in winter events like the Iditarod and Fur Rondy due to unseasonably warm, windy weather.

Due to a diminished snowpack on the central Kenai Peninsula, the Ski for Women event at Tsalteshi Trails near Soldotna, Alaska has been canceled, though organizers remain hopeful about the upcoming Tour of Tsalteshi.

A professional snowboarder criticized the prolonged five‐hour rescue effort after an avalanche swept a backcountry skier down a mountain, cautioning that every minute matters in life‐or‐death situations.

Organizers say they will determine by Feb. 3 whether it’s feasible to run the traditional southern route.

The 2025 Kuskokwim 300 sled dog race has been delayed by two weeks due to unusually low snowfall and warm temperatures, making it difficult to ensure safe trail conditions. This extended delay is rare in the race's 46-year history, typically only postponed for a day or two.

The Holiday Classic sled dog race in Bethel, Alaska, has been postponed due to hazardous trail conditions caused by recent storms and warm temperatures.