Two people were swept under the ice on the Big Susitna River on Thursday morning while three others were able to reach safety, Alaska State Troopers said.

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.

Two individuals were swept into the sea near Akranes harbor when a large swell unexpectedly engulfed the area, dragging along cars and a pedestrian. They were rescued by emergency services, with one later transferred to a hospital in Reykjavík.

Seawater breached sea walls in Seltjarnarnes this morning causing major damage to homes and infrastructure, with emergency services working to pump out water and warnings of further flooding tonight.

A Bozeman hunter’s bird dog in eastern Montana was found with an Ixodes scapularis tick, raising concerns that Lyme disease–carrying ticks might be establishing themselves in the region.

In Uelen, Chukotka, a volunteer 'Bear Patrol' has been driving away a white bear for over a week after its initial appearance on February 26, attracted by the scent of stored walrus meat. The bear’s recurring intrusion has raised concerns as Uelen lies along the polar bear migration route, and similar incidents have reportedly tripled compared to previous years.

A watch was issued for the Atka Volcanic Complex following a small explosive event that may have released a limited amount of volcanic ash. The Alaska Volcano Observatory is closely monitoring activity using seismic data, infrasound sensors, and web cameras.

Eagles in Unalaska are nesting earlier than usual, prompting local authorities to caution residents about potentially aggressive territorial behavior near the nests.

The U.S. Forest Service has warned Juneau residents to avoid the Mendenhall Glacier due to a large crack that could lead to significant calving, posing risks to those recreating on the frozen lake.

A window of cold and clear weather has drawn hundreds of people to skate, bike and walk on the lake ice in recent days.

On February 6, 2025, an extreme wind event in Hafnarfjörður, Iceland, led to a surprising occurrence near the Óseyrarbraut roadway.

Tom McGuire, a 79-year-old Haines author and backcountry adventurer, fell through the ice while skating alone on Chilkoot Lake, triggering an extensive search by local volunteers and state officials.

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.

After Friday’s storm, the Capital Region’s Fire Department responded to an unusually high number of flood-related calls, with firefighters tackling severe flooding in homes and public areas. The incident saw approximately 25 calls for pump trucks and over 140 ambulances dispatched during the event.

A rare magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck the upper Kuskokwim region on January 29, 2025, startling residents in communities like McGrath and Kalskag, though no significant damage was reported.

A driver lost direction in foggy conditions and accidentally drove onto thin sea ice near Vaasa, Finland, but escaped unharmed. Sea ice conditions have been particularly difficult this winter, due to alternating periods of severe cold and milder temperatures which have made the ice weak and unpredictable.

A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck southwest of Unalaska, impacting locals in Nikolski and Akutan, but poses no tsunami threat or concern for further seismic activity.

A person is missing after a vehicle fell through the ice on Lake Laberge in Yukon. Two others managed to escape.