Warm temperatures predicted for Iditarod start [Video]

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – The weather is always a factor in the Iditarod, from extreme snow and wind to bitter cold, and in a handful of years, even conditions that are too warm.

This will be one of those years.

On the positive side, snow shouldn’t be an issue. The race moved to Fairbanks because of low snow depths in Southcentral Alaska. The snow depth is still above average in Fairbanks with more than two feet on the ground.

It’s looking good for snowpack further down the trail as well. The Yukon River is frozen solid, reporting an ice depth of 19 inches in Galena, along with a snow depth of close to two feet.

Further south, Anvik has significantly less snow, but is still reporting 9″ and the ice and snow are looking relatively solid along the coast to Nome.

Temperatures will likely be a challenge at the start of the race. Heat is being pumped across Alaska by a …