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The LEO Network is a worldwide network of observers and experts that share their observations of environmental change.
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Observations

K300 Season Opener Delayed Again
Poor trail conditions have pushed the Kuskokwim 300 Season Opener race back another week.
Bethel, Alaska, United States
KYUK

Mushers react to scary closure of chum fishery
A lack of chum salmon is causing pain in riverside communities of Yukon and Alaska, as mushers are left without a traditional source of food.
Old Crow, Yukon, Canada
CBC

Fairbanks sees more than 7 feet of snow this season
Seasonal snowfall came in well above normal through the first week of March for the Fairbanks area. According to an update from the Fairbanks National Weather Service station, the season saw 91.9 inches. The majority of it comes from December storms that dropped 49.7 inches of snow on the ground.
Fairbanks, Alaska, United States
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

In Tanana, a lone wolf is taking sled dogs
“Right now the people who have dogs in their yards are very concerned. This is happening at night when it’s dark, so everybody is on edge.” - Tanana First Chief
Tanana, Alaska, United States
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

No white Christmas for Nome and the region
Nome experienced an unusual snowless Christmas despite not having a dry December, with rain replacing snow and creating icy conditions that hinder traditional winter activities and local events.
Nome, Alaska, United States
The Nome Nugget

An angry moose and bare ground mark a brutal first quarter for Iditarod teams
Iditarod teams faced a challenging first quarter with bare ground damaging sleds and a dangerous encounter with an aggressive moose that injured a dog.
McGrath, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Warm winter weather wears down Interior Alaska
Warm winter weather and rain in Alaska triggered avalanches and hazardous roads, with the Parks Highway being closed due to avalanche debris near Cantwell.
Cantwell, Alaska, United States
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

This winter saw second highest snowfall in recorded history
The snowfall in Nome over the winter didn’t break the all-time record but it came close. According to the National Weather Service, 115.5 inches of snow fell, making the winter of 2017/18 number two for snowfall since modern weather reporting began.
Nome, Alaska, United States
The Nome Nugget

Miserable stretches of trail prompt Iditarod to move race start to Fairbanks
For the second time in three years, the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race will move its official start from Willow to Fairbanks due to poor trail conditions that race officials determined unsafe.
Willow, Alaska, United States
Alaska Dispatch News

It was 37 degrees and raining in Shageluk Friday. Iditarod mushers weren’t very happy.
Some mushers worried what the warm weather would mean for the trail ahead.
Shageluk, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Lack of snow shortens Iditarod start
Persistent warm temperatures the last few weeks have melted much of the snow, including stockpiles the city tried to set aside.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

The Iditarod is evaluating alternate race routes because of poor trail conditions
Organizers say they will determine by Feb. 3 whether it’s feasible to run the traditional southern route.
Nome, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Iditarod mushers cope with warm temperatures as they arrive at Alaska Range
Mushers shrugged off jackets and dogs sunbathed in the snow as temperatures hovered around 40 degrees — hot by Alaska winter standards.
Rainy Pass, Alaska
Alaska Public Media

A Warming Arctic Hits Iditarod: Open Water Along the Trail Where There’s Normally Ice
Usually, in March, the Bering Sea ice is reaching its thickest extent. But from the beach in Unalakleet, the full horizon is blue ocean water, punctuated infrequently by lone icebergs.
Unalakleet, Alaska, United States
KNOM Radio Mission

It’s 32 degrees on the Iditarod Trail, and middle-of-the-pack mushers and their dogs are getting wet
For a March evening in the Interior Alaska village of Nikolai, Tuesday was warm.
Nikolai, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Heavy Rains and Flooding
Heavy rains and flooding.

River Ice Treacherous
4-13-14 River ice treacherous - Bethel, Alaska, USA
Bethel, Alaska, United States

Changing winter conditions
This was the warmest autumn on record for western Alaska. Local observer comments on how lack of sea ice is effecting fish and bird behavior.
Golovin, Alaska, United States

Wildfire along Parks Highway burns at least 50 structures
The highway remained closed north of Willow after the fire jumped the road Sunday, authorities said. The fire started Saturday afternoon when wind blew a tree onto a power line.
Willow, Alaska, United States

“Send help now”: Two mushers describe the events that led to their rescue from the Kobuk 440 race trail
After he lost the trail, Jeff King stopped his dog team and draped his sleeping bag over his head to block the battering wind and blowing snow. He was somewhere between the villages of Ambler and Shungnak in the Kobuk 440 Sled Dog Race. Conditions ranged from howling to furious. King lay down with his team. He cuddled a dog named Twister and tried to sleep. That’s when a flaw in the plan rattled his bones. The work of getting there had caused him to sweat, dampness worsened by blowing snow that found its way inside his clothing.
Shungnak, Alaska, United States

Unprecedented salmon declines force fish donations to Alaska’s Yukon River villages
Chum returns are the lowest on record, leaving communities with empty freezers and uncertainty about getting through the winter.
Bethel, Alaska, United States

Snow, wind and rain disrupt life as usual in Nome
Puddles on ice, slippery sidewalks and heavy wet snow berms are remnants of a three-day weather event that pummeled Nome and the region. According to UAF Climate Specialist Rick Thoman, “that’s the highest three day total on record for Nome in March in the past 116 years.
The Nome Nugget

Heavy rain and wind take toll on Southcentral
A storm that hit Southcentral Alaska on Saturday night led to flooding in Girdwood, a landslide on the Sterling Highway and left thousands of homes without power throughout the region on Sunday morning. More than a foot of rain fell in Girdwood by Sunday.
Girdwood, Alaska, United States

Melting Arctic sea ice forces sled dogs to slosh through water
A dog-sled team ran into standing water after the onset of warm conditions across the northern territory caused rapid ice melt.
Qaanaaq, Qaasuitsup Kommunia, Greenland
CBC

Exotic ticks found on Alaska dogs, Alaskans
Ticks that infest red squirrels, snowshoe hares and a variety of birds have always been present in Alaska, but a team of biologists and veterinarians recently found five non-native ticks on Alaska dogs and people.
Fairbanks, Alaska, United States
Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks

5 dogs attacked by lynx in Inuvik since late November, says official
Lynx have attacked five dogs in Inuvik since late November, a trend a local wildlife officer calls surprising. The behaviour is unusual since lynx are typically reclusive animals and don't usually come into inhabited areas.
Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada
CBC

Yukon Quest's route shortened this year because of lack of snow
For safety dogs and mushers will be trucked from Braeburn to Carmacks.
Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada

4 mushers scratch due to icy conditions in Kuskokwim 300 sled dog race
Four teams had scratched as of 7 p.m. Saturday because of the icy conditions, said Kuskokwim 300 race director Madelene Reichard. "It's the same thing for all of them," Reichard said. "The dogs aren't used to running on the ice, and people were wanting to keep their dogs healthy."

Jellyfish Invasion Raises Dog Safety Concerns
The storm event on October 21st brought an invasion of jellyfish to flooded areas. Eating jellyfishis thought to have resulted in one dog fatality, raising concerns for pet owners across Kotzebue.
Kotzebue, Alaska, United States

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

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