Thane Road reopens, avalanche risk downtown still elevated; mostly clear weather forecast until ‘moderate snow’ Monday
- Mark Sabbatini
- Jan 1
- 2 min read
Chilly weekend will be followed by ‘a typical Southeast Alaska snowstorm’ rather than another extraordinary one, forecaster says
By Mark Sabbatini
Juneau Independent
Thane Road was reopened Thursday after the state completed avalanche hazard reduction work on the slopes above it, but the risk of snowslides for downtown neighborhoods beneath Mount Juneau remains elevated, according to officials.
The road between Thane and downtown Juneau was closed Tuesday night due to the risk posed by a record snowstorm, with an advisory also issued that day for the Behrends Avenue area downtown. The opening of the road was announced by the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities in a Facebook post at about 3:30 p.m. Thursday.
"Avalanche hazard reduction work was completed this morning," the post notes. "Thane Road has reopened, but DOT&PF reminds drivers NOT to stop in the avalanche zone. If you live in a known avalanche risk area, we encourage you to have a go-bag ready, know your risk, and stay signed up for emergency alerts."
An advisory that heightened risk remains in downtown Juneau was issued at about 4:30 p.m. in a text message by the City and Borough of Juneau, which also referred recipients to a webpage offering preparatory tips.
"Elevated avalanche hazard persists on Mount Juneau slide paths," the notice states. "Stay alert. Be prepared."
No significant snow is expected in Juneau until Monday, although temperatures may drop to as low as 5°F during the weekend, according to a forecast issued at about 3 p.m. Thursday by the National Weather Service Juneau. "Moderate snow" is expected that day and light snow on Tuesday, although specific estimates aren’t known yet.
"Right now the numbers are varying," Andrew Park, a meteorologist at the weather service station, said in an online video posted Thursday afternoon. "I've seen online there's a lot of people talking about three to five feet of snow. We're not going to see that. This looks like a typical Southeast Alaska snowstorm. We're working on numbers for today, so pay attention to our forecast as we push those numbers out, especially tomorrow as we get more confidence."
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.
