The Northern Climate Observer

The Northern
Climate Observer

The Slush Cup - I have been absolutely glued to the Olympic, in particular the skiing and jumping events, but honestly, everything. Watching the cross-country races, I was struck by how the conditions have transformed some of the events from fast and graceful, to slow and grueling; turned the race courses into obstacle courses. Case in point the women's cross-country relay, which despite best efforts turned into a literal slush cup. Leader Ebba Andersson’s epic head plant was just one in a litany of wipe outs and misfortunes ranging from the ridiculous to the treacherous. A friend commented on how it was like asking marathon runners to race in sand, or in this case, up a sand hill.

Winter sport events are becoming more difficult to deliver, and there are fewer venues with reliable cold or snow. Holding even a single sport event can be challenging, never mind large multi-sports, multi-day events. The snow dilemma is of course not just in the Alps. The precursor slush cup was last year at the World Nordic Ski Championships in Trondheim, Norway. Organizers went to extraordinary lengths to build and manage the ski course. Despite this, relentless rain and wind eventually reduced the trails to slop. The final event was the women's inaugural 50K race. It was described by competitors as the hardest conditions imaginable, resulting in perhaps the most grueling ski race ever held. Competitors, unable to ski through the deep mushy snow, were reduced to hiking up the hills. Despite the challenging conditions, all of the competitors finished the race. The drama may be repeated as the 50K men and women events are scheduled later this week at the Olympics.

This week however, the conditions in Trondheim are perfect. Last year, so were the conditions in Tesoro! The point is that it is extremely difficult to plan, and doubly for the mega events. But if we keep going at this rate, and don’t find ways to be more nimble in our planning, the slush cups will continue and the quality of the competitions and the sports will suffer. Holding the Winter Olympics in just one country may someday be simply impossible. To preserve winter skiing and jumping events, we may need to reimagine how winter sport events (large and small) are planned. Imagine a future where the emphasis is on delivering the best possible conditions for the discipline, even if it means spreading an event across a continent or across the world. Where will the conditions be best? Leading with this question may help to deliver Winter, ensure that the events occur, and allow this amazing sports event to shine. Mike Brubaker, Editor

	What Olympic athletes see that viewers don’t: Machine-made snow makes ski racing faster and riskier – and it’s everywhere Tesero, Trentino, Italy weather.com / February 5, 2026 “TV production is great at making it look like we are in wintry, snowy places, but this year has been particularly bad.” Read article on weather.com
	It Looks Bleak – You Can Almost Pick Black Berries Nuuk, Greenland Oline Inuusuttoq Olsen / Sermitsiaq / January 6, 2026 In Nuuk, rain and above-freezing temperatures have melted most of the snow, delaying the opening of the city’s ski lift and cross-country ski trails. Operators say conditions are unusually poor for early January, leaving athletes and families without normal winter recreation options. Read article on Sermitsiaq
	Bogus Creek 150 postponed due to extreme cold snap Bethel, Alaska, United States Samantha Watson / Alaska Public Media / January 8, 2026 Organizers postponed the Bogus Creek 150 sled dog race in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta after forecasts called for wind chills near 40°F below zero, raising safety concerns for mushers, dogs, and trail volunteers. Read article on Alaska Public Media
	Bitterly cold in the Sami capital; school bus service cancelled Karasjok, Finnmark, Norway Lars Birger Persen / iFinnmark / January 9, 2026 Karasjok in Finnmark, Norway recorded -41.4°C on the morning of Jan. 9, 2026—the lowest temperature there since 2017—leading the municipality to cancel school bus service while other services continued largely as normal. Read article on iFinnmark
	New Grazing Crisis: “This Could Be the Worst Winter We’ve Experienced” Karasjok, Finnmark, Norway Christina Einvik / NRK / January 14, 2026 Reindeer herders in Karasjok, Finnmark report a severe winter grazing crisis as thaw conditions followed by extreme cold have iced over pastures, scattering herds and making feeding difficult. Authorities say climate change is increasing the frequency of winters with “locked” (iced) grazing areas, and inspections are ongoing. Read article on NRK
	Watch: Woman rescued from vehicle in floodwater along Sawmill Road Haines, Alaska, United States Rashah McChesney; Will Steinfeld / Chilkat Valley News / January 14, 2026 Flooding and standing water in the Chilkat Valley near Haines, Alaska led to a vehicle becoming stuck in a ditch along Sawmill Road, where first responders rescued a woman from her car. Officials warned residents to avoid driving through floodwaters as plugged drainage channels contributed to area flooding near the airport and along the Haines Highway. Read article on Chilkat Valley News
	Warm snap closes multiple highways in southern Yukon Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada CBC News / CBC News / January 14, 2026 Unseasonably warm temperatures in southern Yukon brought snow, rain, and ice that closed sections of major highways and created hazardous travel, including a school bus sliding into a ditch near Whitehorse. Read article on CBC News
	Cold, Dry January Raises Wildfire Risk in Parts of Southern Norway: “Very Unusual” Sandnes, Rogaland, Norway Even Norheim Johansen / NRK / January 24, 2026 An unusually cold, stable, and very dry January is increasing grass and heath fire risk in parts of southern Norway, with authorities issuing wildfire danger alerts. Several small fires have already occurred, often linked to bonfires or controlled burning getting out of control. Read article on NRK
	Anchorage breaks January snowfall record as storm continues Anchorage, Alaska, United States Casey Grove / Alaska Public Media / January 27, 2026 A winter storm pushed Anchorage to a record 36.4 inches of snow for January, prompting early school dismissals and difficult driving conditions. Police reported dozens of vehicles stuck and multiple crashes without injuries as plows worked to clear major roads. Read article on Alaska Public Media

The Northern Climate Observer is published by the Center for Climate and Health. We track news coverage from across the circumpolar north and provide readers with a curated roundup of climate change related events. Thank you for reading our newsletter and for paying attention to our changing world.

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Northern Climate Observer

The Northern Climate Observer is published by the Center for Climate and Health. We track news from across the circumpolar north and provide readers with a curated roundup of climate-change related events.

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