River ice break-up is underway in northwest North America. So far no serious flooding. I’ve got the early results of this year’s break-up in the climate scale context in a new post in the Alaska and Arctic Climate newsletter. @Climatologist49

https://alaskaclimate.substack.com/p/spring-2025-river-break-early-results

Ice broke on the Yukon River at Dawson, YT at 1056am MDT Wednesday. This is the tenth earliest break-up in 130 years of observations. Four of the ten earliest break-ups have occurred in the past decade. #ytwx #ClimateChange @radtek58.bsky.social @jkanadisk.bsky.social @climatologist49.bsky.social

Break-up the ice on the Yukon River at Dawson, YT has been recorded every spring since 1896, making it the longest unbroken set of break-up observations in northern North America. This year, the ice broke at 1056am MDT Wednesday April 30. This is about five days earlier than the past 50-year average and is tenth earliest break-up in 130 years of observations. Four of the ten earliest break-ups have occurred in the past decade. #ytwx #Spring2025 #ClimateChange @Climatologist49

Ice went out on the Yukon River at Dawson, YT on Wednesday. Webcam image from 419pm MDT looking west-northwest across the Yukon River courtesy Yukon River Ice Pool. #ytwx #Spring2025.

Increasing areas of open water on the Yukon River near Dawson, YT and the Klondike River is mostly open, but the ice Tuesday afternoon is still holding in front of town. Last year the ice broke on April 28. Over the past 50 years the typical break-up date is May 5. #ytwx #YukonRiver #Dawson

Alaska and vicinity comparison of April 15 snowpack snow water equivalent against same date last year. Much lower SWE southwest Alaska and lower Mackenzie valley. Much higher in the central Interior. Data from ERA5. #snow #Spring2025 #akwx #ytwx #ntwx @Climatologist49

Low temperatures the past couple of days in eastern mainland Alaska and the Yukon Territory. Notable only because it's the 2020s. Daily record lows are much lower. As often happens, Chicken, Alaska comes in with the lowest temperature, with Pelly Ranch and Mayo, YT close behind. #akwx #ytwx #Winter2025 @Climatologist49

The 2024 wildfire season is nearly finished in Northern North America (a few fires continue in southern portions of the Yukon and Northwest Territories). I've got a seasonal wrap-up posted on the Alaska and Arctic Climate newsletter. @Climatologist49

https://alaskaclimate.substack.com/p/2024-arctic-north-american-wildfire

Northern North America summer 2024 wildfire area burned. Alaska early season loaded, Northwest Territories late summer loaded, Yukon Territory roughly even across the three months. #akwx #ytwx #ntwx #Wildfire #Canada #Summer2024
@Climatologist49 @BakerRL75

In case you're wondering, 2024 northern North America wildfire area burned through August 23rd. Northwest Territories, Canada fires accounts nearly 80 percent of the area burned, which is not quite as lopsided as 2023, when NWT fires accounted for more than 90 percent of northern North America wildfire area burned. The season is effectively over in Alaska and most of the Yukon but still going in the NWT.
@BakerRL75

The northwest North America August 2024 heatwave is shifting east. Here are the highest reported temperatures this past week. Two locations with more than 50 years of observations set all-time record highs: Deadhorse Airport at Prudhoe Bay, Alaska and Inuvik, Northwest Territories. Fort Good Hope appears to have reported the highest reliable temperatures: 37.0C (99F) on Friday. #akwx #ytwx #ntwx #Climate #ClimateChange #Summer2024
@Climatologist49 @cabinradio @CBCNews @pat_wx

Goes-West GeoColor loop Thursday afternoon to early evening. Many, many wildfire smoke plumes explode across the Northwest Territories and the Yukon Territory under big warm high pressure aloft. Image loop courtesy NOAA/NESDIS/ STAR. #ytwx #ntwx #weather #Canada #Wildfire
@BakerRL75 @ingalls @Climatologist49

Impressive early August 2024 heatwave over northwest North America. During the past three days, all-time records apparently set at Deadhorse, Alaska (31.7C, 89F) and Inuvik, NWT (34.5C, 94F. Northway 87F on August 6 is the highest temperature so late in the year. The August 7 temperatures not final so some of the NWT sites could finish up slightly higher. #akwx #ytwx #ntwx #Climate #Canada #Alaska #ClimateDiary #Summer2024
@Climatologist49 @pat_wx @extretemps

June 28 update on northern North American wildfire. Reversed from 2023, when the Northwest Territories was very high, Yukon Territory in the middle and Alaska very low (at this point in the season). Graohic courtesy NASA/FIRMS. #akwx #ytwx #ntwx #Alaska #Canada #Wildfire #Summer2024
@Climatologist49 @BakerRL75

Break-up on the Yukon River at Dawson, YT occurred on on the afternoon of April 28. This was the fourth earliest break-up since 1896: only 1940, 2016 and 2019 were earlier. Typical break-up nowdays is more than a week earlier than it was in the early to mid 20th century. #ytwx #Canada #YukonRiver #hydrology #Climate @Climatologist49 @evaholland

Northwest North America snowpack analysis for mid-April shows dramatic differences between Alaska and northwest Canada.#akwx #ytwx #Canada #Alaska #climate #SnowPack #hydrology #wildfire #Spring2024
@Climatologist49 @DeniseGutzmer
https://alaskaclimate.substack.com/p/april-2024-snowpack-analysis

Snowpack snow water equivalent as a percent of the 1991-2020 median in and around Alaska as of April 8th. Most of mainland Alaska and northern Yukon Territory had near to above normal snowpack but Alaska Panhandle, British Columbia, western Northwest Territories and northern Alberta well below usual snowpack for this point in the Spring. ERA5 Land data courtesy ECMWF/Copernicus.
#SWE #Hydrology #akwx #ytwx #ntwx #Canada
@Climatologist49 @DeniseGutzmer

March was less cloudy than usual in Southeast Alaska and northern British Columbia but much cloudier than usual over much of central and eastern mainland Alaska and the northern Yukon Territory. Data from ERA5 and analysis/graphic courtesy @Climatologist49 #akwx #ytwx #bcwx #climate
@anisian

April 1 snowpack snow water equivalent as a percent of 1991-2020 median in/around Alaska from ERA5 Land courtesy of ECMWF/Copernicus. Most of Alaska snowpack is near to above normal with a small exception in the central Interior and a larger exception in central and southern Southeast. In Canada, much of northern BC, NW Alberta and western NWT snowpack is far below typical for this point in the season. #akwx #ytwx #ntwx #Arctic #SnowPack #Hydrology #Wildfire
@Climatologist49 @DeniseGutzmer

Alaska and vicinity winter 2023-24, at least in some quarters, defied expectations, given the strong El Niño that was both forecast and actually happened. It's complicated, but here's what happened and some ideas on why. #akwx #ytwx #Climate #ElNino

https://alaskaclimate.substack.com/p/alaskanw-canada-winter-2023-24-and