Clear and cold -- that's been the theme of the weather so far during the 2015 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. After a warmer-than-usual winter around the state that forced the race's traditional Willow start to be pushed north to the cooler Interior locale of Fairbanks, mushers have been met with biting cold that's left fingers frostbitten and faces frigid.
But, there's an upside. All the clear weather has meant that there are some great views of the northern lights, which offers something to watch while standing outside in the middle of the night waiting for mushers to arrive.
Sunday morning saw just such a happy coincidence, as the aurora emerged in the skies over Kaltag, the last stop along the Yukon River for the Iditarod mushers.