How the rest of the world covered Juneau’s snowpocalypse

AI, vague national media dominated the online story outside of town; some tell the story accurately and some do not

A sunken boat at the dock in Aurora Harbor on Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025. (Natalie Buttner / Juneau Independent)

By Ellie Ruel

Juneau Independent

As Juneau starts to get back on its feet after being battered by back-to-back snowstorms and drenched by an atmospheric river, it’s also finding itself on a surprising national stage. Buried cars, sinking vessels, and avalanche warnings attracted the attention of storm chasers, national and statewide media outlets, and social media accounts.

Coverage by more recognizable outlets tended to tell the story through the lens of confirmed building collapses and vessels sinking. Many of the (real) cover photos featured dramatic shots of boats tipped up in the harbors.

Mysteriously, while most outlets correctly reported the number of vessels that sank during the storm — eight — the magnitude of the snowfall record seemed to escape them. The Washington Post reported the capital city had seen “its snowiest December in more than 80 years, according to the National Weather Service.”

The previous snowfall record for December was actually set in 1964, making it the snowiest in a little more than 60 years rather than 80, also according to the National Weather Service in Juneau.

Since outlets were mostly relying on reporting from afar, the figure was cited across multiple stories such as the one compiled by Newser. Their AI-assisted summary, which the site’s linked guidelines claim is controlled by human oversight during the editorial process, also cites a figure from the Weather Channel that 40 inches of snow were currently on the ground on Jan. 8.

The article actually cites “more than 30 inches” of snow already on the ground, which is a somewhat inaccurate statement since different microclimates in town lead to different snowfall totals. It also claims that authorization to dump snow in Gastineau Channel came from “Alaska’s Department of Energy” but links to a document from the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation’s Division of Water, the entity tasked with providing such a permit.

FOX Weather’s article addressing the incoming atmospheric river seemingly got geographically confused, placing an unexplained photo of rainfall in Texas in the middle of an article about the Alaskan Panhandle.

Others had more localized mix-ups, with Accuweather’s article describing the closed Thane Road as “the only road to the town of Thane southeast of Juneau,” rather than simply another area of the town. Also notable in that article is their choice of on-the-ground voices: storm chaser Aaron Rigsby, who provided drone footage of roof snow removal and vessels in the harbor.

"Several homes and buildings and houses have had their roofs cave in from the amount of weight of the snow," Rigsby said in the article. "The mix of rain has almost turned it into cement, with this type of snowpack adding so much pressure to these buildings."

A common central thread among all these stories were basic descriptions plucked from press releases and National Weather Service reports along with vague descriptions of possible impacts from in-house meteorologists such as: “Rain and above-freezing temperatures will melt more snow, increasing the risk of flooding in Juneau and other parts of southeastern Alaska.”

Residents’ personal experiences didn’t show up often in the coverage, for obvious regional reasons: interviewing a resident busy digging out their home or vehicle from a newsroom across the country is likely to prove difficult for even the most eager reporter. When local voices were highlighted, it raised more questions and eyebrows than answers.

A recent episode of “Anchorage News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now!” — an “AI-powered” podcast that describes itself as the “first global local news network” — describes a Mendenhall Valley residential roof cave-in. It features both homeowner Tracey Muir’s reaction and snow-clearing tips from civil engineer Nate Geary.

The minute-and-a-half mini broadcast covers the expected details quickly — the only problem is it completely mirrors local public radio station KTOO’s coverage of the story, down to the quotes and structure. And unlike the other “AI-powered” article mentioned above, it doesn’t cite any sources.

A search of social media turned up a bounty of uncited information, too.

“This wasn’t just a single storm — it was a persistent parade of systems tapping deep Pacific moisture and locking in cold air, leading to historic snowfall totals rarely seen even in Alaska’s capital. These photos really tell the story better than any map ever could,” one post with almost 7,000 reactions and 1,000 shares reads.

All three photos in question were all taken by Independent reporters, not “Snowbirdbob.” Despite that post’s all-caps declaration of “ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE SCENES OUT OF JUNEAU, ALASKA,” it understates December snowfall totals as over 60 inches rather than over 80 inches.

This photo, which appears to be AI-generated, was shared on social media alongside descriptions of Juneau's "unrelenting and dangerous winter siege." (Screenshot from Facebook)

Other frequently shared images looked like a bizarre smash-up of the downtown neighborhood known as The Flats and in Auke Bay, with houses stacked haphazardly in the background. Images of the “Fred Meyer’s” gas station awning collapse didn’t remotely match reality, showing a generated gas station in a generic mountain background. Some even featured cruise ships docked in winter.

Most phony-photo posts were paired with dramatic announcements such as, “This isn't merely winter; it's a critical test of infrastructure and a stark reminder of survival mode.” 

A particularly popular AI vessel sinking video with 14,000 reactions states, “This isn’t a movie scene — it’s what happens when winter goes extreme. Nature always has the final word.”

This one acknowledged generative AI use, but with this claim.

“They do not depict confirmed real-time footage but are based on reported events and conditions,” it states.

Most Juneauites would likely disagree with the depictions of a decently-sized lit-up urban sprawl scene, as well as the dramatic post-apocalyptic feel of the harbor footage.

• Contact Ellie Ruel at ellie.ruel@juneauindependent.com.

This photo from social media is supposed to depict Juneau's record snowstorm, but the likely AI-generated image falls short in its accuracy. (Screenshot from Facebook)

A post from "Snowbirdbob" about the record Juneau snowstorm that uses unattributed photos from the Independent. (Screenshot from Facebook)

This photo from social media is supposed to depict Juneau's record snowstorm, but the AI-generated image shows a cruise ship docked in the winter. (Screenshot from Facebook)