Every spring in Nenana, Alaska, thousands of people wait for ice to break. The Nenana Ice Classic is the state's oldest and strangest lottery: participants bet on the exact minute when the ice on the Tanana River will break up enough to move a wooden tripod 100 feet downstream. The tripod, planted on the frozen river each February, is wired to a clock in a tower on shore. When the ice breaks and the tripod moves, it trips a wire that stops the clock. The winning time is precise to the minute. Some years, the ice goes out in April; others, it lasts until May. The jackpot has reached $378,000 in recent years, split among winners who guessed the exact minute. The Ice Classic has run since 1917, when railroad workers made a pool to pass the time. It's survived a century of Alaska winters, a perfect marriage of gambling, climate, and patience.
In 1917, Alaska Railroad engineers working in Nenana made a pool: everyone contributed to a pot and guessed when the spring ice breakup would occur. The winner took all. The pot was $800 that first year - substantial money for workers in the Alaska wilderness. The tradition continued every year, growing in scope as word spread. By the 1940s, tens of thousands of tickets were sold statewide. By the 2000s, the Ice Classic had become Alaska's most beloved lottery, generating hundreds of thousands of dollars annually. The proceeds support the Nenana community and various charitable causes. It's gambling, but it's also community tradition.
Each February, volunteers plant a wooden tripod on the frozen Tanana River. The tripod is painted black and white for visibility. A cable connects it to a clock mechanism in a tower on shore. The setup is simple: when the tripod moves 100 feet downstream, it pulls the cable tight, which trips a switch that stops the clock. The exact time is recorded. That time - month, day, hour, and minute - is the winning combination. Those who guessed correctly split the jackpot. In years when the ice goes out gradually, the tripod may shift and resettle multiple times before the final move. Volunteers monitor it constantly as breakup approaches.
Tickets cost $3 each and can be purchased throughout Alaska from January through April 5. Buyers write their guess on the ticket: April 28 at 3:47 PM, or May 2 at 11:22 AM, or any other date and time during the breakup window. Some players use complex calculations based on weather data, ice thickness measurements, and historical patterns. Others guess randomly. Multiple people often share the same guess; if that time wins, they split the prize. The winning times vary wildly: the earliest breakup was April 20, 1940, at 3:27 PM; the latest was May 20, 1964, at 11:41 AM. Predicting the exact minute is impossible. That's the point.
The Nenana Ice Classic has become an inadvertent climate record. Over 100 years of data show a clear trend: breakup is happening earlier. The average breakup date has shifted by about five days earlier since records began. The ice is thinner, the winters warmer. Climate scientists study the Ice Classic data as one of the longest continuous records of spring timing in the Arctic. The lottery that started as entertainment for railroad workers is now evidence of global warming. Alaska is warming faster than most of the planet, and the Tanana River's ice tells the story.
Nenana is located on the Parks Highway, about 55 miles southwest of Fairbanks, Alaska. The Ice Classic tripod and tower are visible near the river in downtown Nenana. The best time to visit is during breakup season (late April to mid-May), when tension is highest. Tickets can be purchased in Nenana or throughout Alaska; they're also available online. The Nenana Ice Classic headquarters has a small exhibit on the lottery's history. Fairbanks International Airport is the nearest commercial service. Accommodations are limited in Nenana; Fairbanks has more options. The breakup itself, if you're lucky enough to witness it, is a dramatic event - ice grinding, water rushing, 100 years of tradition ending in a few chaotic minutes.
Located at 64.56°N, 149.09°W in interior Alaska, where the Tanana and Nenana Rivers meet. From altitude, Nenana appears as a small town grid on the river's north bank, surrounded by boreal forest. The Tanana River flows wide and braided; in winter, it's a white expanse of ice. The Parks Highway passes through town. Fairbanks is 55 miles northeast. Denali National Park is visible to the south. The Alaska Range rises on the southern horizon. Fairbanks International Airport is the nearest commercial service. In late April, the ice may show signs of breakup - dark lines, pooling water, movement.