Snow to be sent by rail from Fairbanks to Anchorage for Fur Rondy, Iditarod start

ANCHORAGE - Fur Rondy and Iditarod officials are working with the Alaska Railroad to send snow by rail from Fairbanks to Anchorage ahead of the ceremonial start of the Iditarod and the Running of the Reindeer event Saturday.

The unseasonably warm weather and lack of snow have caused officials to resort to shipping snow to the city. "We haven't had to do this before," said Fur Rondy executive director, Jeff Barney.

With the rate at which the snow is melting, the events on Saturday wouldn't happen, Barney told Channel 2 News. "They definitely saved our heinies right here," Barney said.

The Alaska Railroad will bring 300 cubic yards of snow from Fairbanks on Wednesday night. City officials will take the snow to a holding area until Friday night when it will be distributed in Downtown.