Flood risk drops a bit near Dawson City, Yukon

The risk of flooding around the Dawson City area is lower than it was last week, though water levels are still increasing on the Yukon and Klondike rivers.

The two rivers, which link up at Dawson, could still get jammed up with ice if temperatures rise too quickly.

In a flooding update Tuesday, the Yukon government said the late spring thaw it warned about last week is even later now. Some ice has started to melt on both rivers, but the Klondike region is still having low overnight temperatures. That's expected to continue for a few days, slowing down the amount of water hitting the two rivers for now.

There's still a "moderate" chance of flooding along the Klondike River, while flood risk is now low for the Yukon River. The territory doesn't expect break-up to happen on either river before the weekend, and — in the case of the Yukon River — not before May 7.

Last week, senior hydrologist Anthony Bier told CBC if the rivers do flood, the risk to Dawson City itself is low since it's protected by a dike.

Hydrologists are keeping an eye on conditions remotely but are set to head to Dawson before break-up happens to more closely monitor the situation.