River and lake ice thickness and snow depth at near maximum ice thickness and during ice decay in Alaska, 1961-1974

Through the cooperation of the Alaska Regional Office of the National Weather Service (NOAA) an ice thickness observation program was started by CRREL (Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory) during the fall of 1961 (Bilello 1980). The locations depended upon the existence of established weather stations and the availability of local personnel who could be trained to make the measurements. By the end of the 1965-66 winter season, Alaskan natives, homesteaders, lodgekeepers, teachers, and clergy at 23 stations throughout the state were providing information on ice cover thickness and conditions. Ice and snow observations were typically made once a week close to the maximum ice thickness in February to May and during ice decay until conditions were no longer safe. This dataset has been tabulated from the original CRREL report, organized, and made available as part of a new project, NNA (Navigating New Arctic): Fresh Eyes on Ice: Connecting Arctic Communities through a Revitalized and Modernized Freshwater Ice Observation Network (OPP-1836523).