The 50-mile Holiday Classic sled dog race has been postponed because of unfavorable trail conditions, according to Kuskokwim 300 Race Manager Paul Basile.
While the trail upriver looked fine on Jan. 10, by the morning of Jan. 11, Basile said that race officials decided that conditions were unfavorable enough to postpone the race to a later date.
Seventeen teams had registered for the Jan. 11 Holiday Classic, with room for last-minute additions.
In recent days, a storm on the Kuskokwim Delta coast has resulted in flooding in some coastal communities. It’s also pushed water up the river, causing increased overflow into the lower Kuskokwim. Temperatures have hovered around or just above freezing, melting snow on the ground and creating dangerously icy conditions.
The National Weather Service has a winter weather advisory in effect for the Kuskokwim Delta, including Bethel and Nunivak Island, until midday on Jan. 12, forecasting heavy snow and significantly reduced visibility.
This is a developing story and may be updated with additional information.
