The Alcan 200 snowmachine race has been postponed until Feb. 8 due to frigid weather and bare road conditions. The race had been scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday, but with wind chills reaching -40 degrees this week, organizers announced the rescheduling Tuesday.
All race weekend events have been moved to Feb. 7-9.
The Alcan 200, which celebrated its 50th year last January, takes place on the Haines Highway, starting and finishing at the Canadian border with a turnaround point near Dezadeash Lake. As a result of recent dry conditions, the 155-mile course includes miles of bare pavement, presenting a hazard for competitors, said Kathi Lapp, a member of the Alcan 200’s board.
Snow on the road creates traction for snowmachines. Exposed pavement presents challenges because it is a slick surface, Lapp said. The road conditions combined with the high winds in the forecast “can blow a snowmachine right off the road.”
Last year’s race took place with similar wind and road conditions and saw an increase in crashes.
While the race has taken place in the past when conditions have been less than ideal, this year the board made the tough decision to postpone, board member and racer Zach Ferrin said. Besides strong winds and the lack of snow, the temperature was expected to be -7 degrees at the Canadian border at Saturday’s start time, he said.
With windchill, the temperature on Saturday will feel more like -21 degrees, said NOAA meteorologist Caleb Cravens .
“We’re talking frostbite in a matter of minutes,” said Ferrin, who has raced in subpar conditions in the past. “You need the fun to outweigh the bad when racing.” The potential for losing fingers is what tipped the balance for him.
Ferrin said he found out about the postponement Tuesday afternoon. Lapp contacted all the board members the following day to settle on a new race date.
“We wanted to get it into the Yukon government as soon as possible,” she said. Since the Alacan 200 takes place on the highway, it requires cooperation from the Canadian government to close the road during the race.
The new date was selected to avoid scheduling conflicts with other events in Haines. By February, Lapp hopes road conditions will have improved and temperatures will have risen.
Cravez said snow and warmer weather are likely beginning on Sunday, Jan. 19.