Transect-based ice thickness, snow depth, and surface elevation data collected on the Yukon and Tanana rivers in Alaska during the late winter 2024

As part of the Fresh Eyes on Ice project (https://fresheyesonice.org/), we traveled between the communities of Galena and Fairbanks Alaska during March of 2024 collected field data at 24 river locations and one lake location to document late winter ice and snow conditions. The majority of locations were selected based on satellite-observed ice conditions during freeze-up (October - December 2023) to represent transitions in ice formation timing and process. All data was collected along linear transects ranging from approximately 100 to greater than 1000-meter (m) length typically arrayed across freeze-up transitions zones using a combination of ice drilling at three to five points along each transect, high-frequency ice penetrating radar (500 millihertz (mHz) antennae), evenly spaced snow depth measurements using a magna probe, and unpersonned aerial vehicle (UAS) structure-for-motion photographs to construct relative surface elevation models. Ice thickness, snow depth, and relative surface elevation data were summarized to 10-m intervals along these transects. Specifically, these data are intended to aid understanding of how river freeze-up conditions are expressed in late winter at a resolution comparable to many field studies and remotely sensed data acquisition types. Several locations were selected with input from the communities of Galena, Tanana, and Rampart.