Fairbanks officials say the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is unlikely to start in the borough this year.
Borough Mayor Karl Kassel tells The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner that unless the weather worsens in Southcentral Alaska, the 1,000-mile race will likely start in Willow as planned.
The ceremonial start of the race is scheduled for March 5 in Anchorage. Typically the actual race begins the next day in Willow but low snow led Iditarod officials to move the race start to Fairbanks in 2003 and again last year.
A group of race officials came to Fairbanks Tuesday to study the site for a contingency restart, but Kassel says snow conditions in Willow have improved since when that trip was scheduled.
The Iditarod board of directors will make a decision about the start location by Feb. 12.
