Mixed rain/snow with up to 5" accumulation Tuesday; schools, CBJ facilities closed

3" more snow expected Wednesday; forecast calls for rain beginning Friday night and continuing through weekend; city warns about icy and flooding streets

A vehicle passes through snowmelt on Calhoun Avenue on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Independent)

By Jasz Garrett and Mark Sabbatini

Juneau Independent

This story will be updated with revised weather forecasts, closures and other information as it develops.

Snow is expected to taper off during the next few days, with up to five inches forecast Tuesday and three inches Wednesday, but rain is expected to arrive by Friday night and continue at least through the weekend, according to the National Weather Service Juneau.

City facilities and schools are closed Tuesday, as are some businesses and tribal entities, but the State of Alaska has not issued a closure notice for Juneau at its website as of 9:45 a.m.

An advisory about slippery surfaces and flooding due to blocked storm drains was issued Tuesday morning by the City and Borough of Juneau.

"While it might be nice to see some of those snow piles shrinking, rain on snow/ice means very SLIPPERY streets," the advisory notes. "Please continue to stay off the roads as much as possible, so that CBJ, DOT and contractor teams can prepare streets for the additional precipitation heading our way this week."

Mixed rain and snow, with varying amounts in different parts of Juneau, is forecast Tuesday, said Greg Spann, a meteorologist for the Juneau weather service station. He said that is expected to change back to snow by Wednesday, with warming temperatures at the end of the week.

"For Juneau, maybe about an inch to an inch and a half of rain on Friday," he said. "The weekend is a little bit less, as far as the rate of rainfall is concerned."

A weather service update at 9 a.m. Tuesday states there is a 39-inch snow depth at the Juneau station, with a snow water equivalent of 7.7 inches, compared to a snow depth of 41 inches and snow water equivalent of 7.45 inches at 3:30 p.m. Monday. Juneau has received several feet of snow since Dec. 7, forcing the closure of some businesses and causing widespread concerns due to weight loads on roofs. Spann said the rain this week will have mixed impacts on roofs that still have heavy snow on them,

"Initially you might see the roof loads increase a little bit, but you're going to see some actual melting with that system as well," he said.

A lift moves snow in the downtown neighborhood known as "The Flats" as a car approaches on the morning of Monday, Dec. 5, 2026. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Independent)

The Juneau School District and CBJ announced facilities will be closed again Tuesday to allow for cleanup of the heavy snow that continues to fall Monday night.

"For the safety of our students, staff and families, all classes, in-person meetings, and after-school activities are canceled Tuesday," wrote Kristin Bartlett, the school district's chief of staff, in an email. "The Board of Education Facilities Committee online meeting at noon will be held as scheduled."

Bartlett also noted CBJ is currently assessing the roofs of city-owned facilities, including schools. JSD plans to reopen schools on Wednesday, but if hazardous conditions persist, an update will be sent out by 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning.

"Remember that even when schools reopen, you know the conditions in your immediate neighborhood and are the best judge of whether or not to send your child to school," Bartlett wrote. "Absences due to unsafe weather conditions in your neighborhood will be excused."

The city quickly followed suit in its announcement Monday evening, stating that for the safety of patrons and staff, CBJ facilities, including Juneau Public Libraries and all Juneau Parks and Recreation facilities, are set to be closed on Tuesday due to the ongoing hazardous road and weather conditions.

"CBJ staff will continue to provide services remotely wherever possible," the post states. "CBJ continues to encourage residents to limit driving 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 University of Alaska Southeast Juneau campus will also be operating remotely again on Tuesday.

Eric Sele, an Alaska State Capitol facilities employee, clears access to a sidewalk near the building on Seward Street on Monday, Jan. 5, 2026. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Independent)

For similar reasons, the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska has closed its offices for most of Southeast Alaska on Tuesday. A social media post notes offices in Ketchikan and Sitka are expected to reopen during normal business hours.

Goldbelt Inc. also announced through social media its office will be closed "until we feel it is safe for staff to return to our Juneau offices," with staff operating remotely.

Bartlett Regional Hospital also released a notice through Facebook on Monday evening that non-emergency outpatient appointments will be canceled. Infusion services will be open for scheduled in-person outpatient appointments, as well as its Ophthalmology and Bartlett Surgical Specialty Clinic for urgent patients. Bartlett Outpatient Psychiatric Services will be conducting appointments by telemedicine. The hospital remains open for inpatient and emergency services, with staff contacting patients to reschedule or move them online.

"Our Facilities staff have been working around the clock to keep walkways and roadways clear between all buildings on campus," wrote Erin Hardin, a spokesperson for the hospital. "To get ahead of ice buildup that was starting to form around our main hospital entrances, hospital leadership elected to excuse non-emergency outpatient staff who work in our other campus buildings today so our Facilities team could direct their efforts to clearing ice from the main hospital building."

The storm caused several power outages overnight Monday. The most significant was a transmission line failure that knocked out power to most areas of Juneau north of downtown, Alaska Electric Light and Power reported in a Facebook post at 9 p.m.

"Power is out to customers throughout Lemon Creek, the entire Valley, Auke Bay, Out the Road and all points in between. Crew is responding," the post states.

"Top of a tree snapped off and caused the outage. Fortunately there was no damage to the line and we are restoring power to everyone now," a subsequent post at about 9:25 p.m. added.

• Contact Jasz Garrett at jasz@juneauindependent.com or (907) 723-9356. Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.

Winter storm warnings and advisories for Southeast Alaska. (Graphic courtesy of National Weather Service Juneau)