Alaska river systems are breaking up

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – The mighty Yukon is breaking up and tons of ice will be moving downstream in the coming days. It already went out at Dawson and all that ice is on the move.

At Eagle, a flood watch goes though the weekend, as the Yukon River ice is expected to break up there in the next few days.

A flood warning is in place through midday Friday for the Mosquito Fork at the Taylor Highway near Chicken. Water and ice has reached the guardrail of the bridge. The warning has been extended several times as break-up continues.

Another flood watch has been issued for the Tanana River at Manley Hot Springs. The concern is for ice jam flooding as areas upriver are releasing. Observers report the ice at Manley Hot Springs is still hard and intact.

A large upper low spinning disturbances through the Gulf of Alaska begins to sag south and lose steam. It will still bring in a round of rain for Southeast, the north Gulf Coast and Southcentral Friday night to early Saturday.

Hot spot: Eagle with 67 degrees! No wonder the ice is rotting away at a good pace! The state’s cold spot was Buckland, Kotzebue and Selawik with 15 degrees.

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