Update: Avalanche advisory issued as downtown gets a foot of snow as of 2 p.m. Monday; 4-10" more forecast
- Mark Sabbatini
- 18 hours ago
- 4 min read
Free parking in downtown garages until Friday as city tries to clear snow from streets; mixed rain and snow expected overnight, with varying amounts of snow Tuesday
By Mark Sabbatini
Juneau Independent
This story will be updated with revised weather forecasts, closures and other information as it develops.
Update 3 p.m. Monday: An advisory of heightened avalanche risk "in all known slide paths" was issued by the City and Borough of Juneau on Monday afternoon, due to a foot of snow falling as of 2 p.m. during the day. Another four to 10 inches is expected in various parts of Juneau during a winter storm warming in effect through 9 p.m., according to the National Weather Service Juneau.
"This is not an evacuation advisory; however, conditions can change quickly and with little warning," the notice sent by CBJ states. "CBJ will send out an emergency alert if an evacuation advisory is called. CBJ is prepositioning resources to prepare for potential emergency sheltering (Centennial Hall) as well as additional response resources should they be required."
Drivers are also being advised not to stop in the avalanche zone on Thane Road south of downtown.
Free parking is available in the Downtown Transit Center Garage and Marine Parking Garage until 4 p.m. Friday, according to a separate CBJ announcement.
"The City and Borough of Juneau (CBJ) encourages drivers to move parked cars from the street into the parking garages to allow for efficient snow removal," the notice states. "Overnight parking is not available in the North Franklin lot, Shoppers lot and Whittier lot to also allow for snow removal."
Snowfall amounts reported by the weather service as of 2 p.m. Monday were 11 to 12 inches in downtown Juneau, six to seven inches in the Mendenhall Valley, and nine inches in Douglas. The forecast states some areas will warm up enough during the rest of the day to produce rain, but snow is expected to return Tuesday.
(The) main forecast challenge on Tuesday will be the highly variable snowfall accumulations across the northern panhandle due to the hit or miss nature of the showers, warnings and advisories could be extended into Tuesday," a weather service forecast issued at about 1 p.m. states.
Original story (9 p.m. Sunday): Municipal and state government offices, along with Juneau’s public schools, will be closed Monday due to a storm expected to dump eight to 14 inches of snow on a town still struggling to dig out of last week’s record accumulations, according to official announcements Sunday evening.
A weather forecast calling for "very heavy snowfall" of an inch an hour starting at midday Monday prompted the decision to close municipal and school facilities, according to a bulletin issued by the City and Borough of Juneau.
"CBJ encourages all residents to stay off the roads for their safety and the safety of others, and to allow snow removal teams to do their work as safely and efficiently as possible," the announcement states.
The announcement also notes "CBJ staff will continue to provide services remotely wherever possible" by phone and email.
In addition to municipal government offices, the closure affects library and recreation facilities.
The Juneau School District, in an announcement sent to parents and employees stating classes and after-school activities are cancelled, stated employees should "check district email for information about reporting to work."
The University of Alaska Southeast, which was supposed to reopen the campus Monday after winter break, will be operating remotely.
A winter storm warning is in effect for Juneau from 3 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday, according to the National Weather Service Juneau.
"Heaviest snowfall rates are expected through Monday morning and into the afternoon," a forecast issued shortly after 5 p.m. states. "An initial warmup moving up from the south is expected through the afternoon and overnight hours on Monday, resulting in some locations changing over to a rain and rain/snow mix for areas along and south of the Icy Strait Corridor from Elfin Cove to Gustavus and Juneau. However, weakening winds combined with heavy snow showers on Tuesday will more than likely see a switch back to snow."
Tuesday’s forecast is for "highly variable snowfall accumulations" across the northern Panhandle, according to the weather service. The extended forecast calls for snow and rain through Sunday, but with light to moderate accumulations.
Residents and officials are still reporting numerous problems as they dig out of last week’s snowstorm that set an all-time record for accumulation in a five-day period, with a 50-inch snowpack measured at Juneau International Airport. Juneau also set a December record with 82 inches of snow.
The Nugget Mall is closed indefinitely, as are some other businesses, due to concerns about snow loads on roofs and other storm-related impacts. City officials are asking residents to help keep fire hydrants and storm drains clear. Alaska Electric Light and Power, in a Facebook message Sunday, asked people to "please be vigilant when plowing and clearing snow to avoid energized AELP equipment."
"Contact with our equipment can cause outages, is costly to repair, and can be fatal," the post states. "Please also be careful to avoid burying our equipment when moving snow. It makes the restoration process longer and more difficult."
CBJ also issued an alert Sunday for people to move vehicles on the following streets by 10 p.m., due to plowing scheduled overnight and Monday: • Gastineau Avenue (Second St. to end of road).
• St. Ann's Avenue in Douglas (3rd St. to turnaround).
• Summers Street in Douglas (St Anns to top where road is blocked off).
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.
