Ask a Climatologist: River breakup is all about spring temps

The Nenana Ice Classic Tripod in 2009. (Photo by James Brooks/Flickr Creative Commons)The National Weather Service issued its annual river breakup forecast this week. The forecast calls for a relatively mild breakup arriving about on schedule across Alaska. But what factors determine the timing and severity how it plays out? We put that question to climatologist Brian Brettschneider.
Brettschneider said snow pack in Feb. and March generally has almost no bearing on river breakup. Instead, it&rsq