Snow, slush and rain cause snags as Juneau digs out from another record storm

Thane Road closing 10 at p.m. Thursday; no students on school bus that slides off Egan Drive, district says; CBJ maintains elevated avalanche risk status

Preschool students play "Red Light, Green Light" in the snow at Sealaska Plaza on Wednesday, March 4, 2026. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Independent)

By Mark Sabbatini

Juneau Independent

This story has been updated with additional information.

A mix of rain and snow meant a mix of difficulties for some people in Juneau on Thursday, with slippery roads and some disruptions to business as usual.

About a foot of snow fell at Juneau International Airport on Tuesday and Wednesday, with additional accumulation occurring Thursday morning, according to the National Weather Service Juneau. Records were set Saturday with 9.6 inches of snow and Tuesday with 7.3 inches.

But warming temperatures meant precipitation was turning to rain in some places by midday.

"Here in Juneau, downtown is seeing mostly rain, the airport is starting to mix, and the back of the valley is still trying to hold on to snow," a post at the weather service’s Facebook page at about 11:40 a.m. notes.

The forecast calls for rain that may be heavy at times on Friday, which may turn back to mixed rain and snow on Saturday, then snow from Sunday through Tuesday.

Among the notable incidents occurring Thursday morning was a school bus that slid into a median on Egan Drive, pictures of which were circulated on social media, according to a notice shared by the Juneau School District.

"There were no students on the bus, and no one was injured," the notice stated. "First Student confirmed that all buses safely dropped off all students, and all other buses reached their destinations without incident."

The district, following a KTOO report on Wednesday about snow days so far this school year, notes "Students do not have to ‘make up’ the missed four days this school year due to snow in January and the glacial outburst flood."

"The district requested and received a waiver for those closure days from the State and has ‘snow days’ remaining in our calendar," the district’s notice states.

An elevated "yellow" avalanche status — below the "red" status where people in at-risk areas are advised to evacuate homes — was maintained as of 9:40 a.m. Thursday by the City and Borough of Juneau. Capital City Fire/Rescue issued a notice Thursday morning that police and fire officials "are currently responding to multiple slide-offs and vehicle incidents due to slick and slushy road conditions around the community this morning."

"We are asking everyone to slow down, increase following distance, and allow extra travel time while driving today," the CCFR notice states. "Conditions can change quickly, especially on hills and untreated roadways."

Thane Road will close at the avalanche gates south of downtown at 10 p.m. Thursday due to the risk of snowslides, with conditions reassessed at noon Friday, according to the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities.

Most government offices and public facilities are open Thursday, although school and Capital Transit buses are operating on snow routes. The Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska closed its Juneau offices Thursday, but its Facebook page notes many services remain available remotely.

• Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.