Juneau nears December snow record; CBJ, state offices shut Monday as storm warning extended until 6a Tuesday

Mix of snow and freezing rain expected; total snowfall during weekend in northern Southeast Alaska ranged from 15 to 40 inches; 10" more at Juneau airport forecast

Winter storm warnings for portions of Southeast Alaska are extended until Tuesday by the National Weather Service Juneau.

By Mark Sabbatini

Juneau Independent

This is a developing story.

A storm that set snowfall records in Juneau on Saturday and Sunday — and appears likely to set a new monthly record — is expected to begin moving out of the area Monday, according to the National Weather Service Juneau. However, a winter storm warning has been extended by a day until 6 a.m. Tuesday due to further anticipated snow and freezing rain.

City offices and facilities are closed Monday, although "staff are working remotely and available by phone or email," according to an announcement posted at the City and Borough of Juneau’s website shortly after 6:30 a.m. All state executive branch offices in Juneau are also closed, although emergency services are continuing and "telework-ready employees should continue to work unless otherwise approved by their supervisors," according to the State of Alaska’s website.

Non-emergency services have also been cancelled Monday at Bartlett Regional Hospital and the offices at the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska are closed. SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) clinics and services are operating, but "some locations may be working with limited staffing."

"If you don't have a large 4x4 I would stay home for a while," Capital City Fire/Rescue stated in a post on its Facebook page shortly before 8 a.m. "Cars are stuck in side roads and parking lots all across town. Give the snow plows a little time to catch up, and not have to plow around you. Egan Drive was in good shape BUT all the side roads were still knee deep and cars were stuck in most intersections."

A record 11.4 inches of snow fell at the airport on Sunday, topping the old record of 10.2 inches set in 1956. A total of 52.2 inches of snow have fallen this month as of midnight Sunday, putting Juneau within easy reach of the record of 54.7 inches set in 1964.

NWS Juneau states that weather patterns Monday are expected to involve "hit-or-miss accumulating snow amounts which will be highly localized."

"Snowfall and periods of freezing rain continue for much of the northern half of the panhandle from Juneau and Icy Strait corridor area northward," a NWS Juneau forecast issued shortly after 5 a.m. Monday notes. "The rain snow line remains just south of the Icy Strait Corridor and Juneau. Snow totals have so far been around 15 to 40 inches across the northern panhandle. Some freezing rain has also been reported around Juneau, Gustavus and Yakutat."

"Additional accumulating snowfall totals will be highly variable. Expect less accumulating snow than in previous days across the area as precipitation becomes more convective in nature. The bulk of the additional snow accumulation will be where heavier showers move through, and out the road in Juneau. However, freezing rain will mix in at times on Monday throughout the area. Snowfall rates will pick up again late Monday night as a wave moves through, though this will be weaker than previous waves."

The extended forecast calls for snow throughout the coming week, with lows generally in the 20s and highs in the 30s. A slight break from the pattern is forecast between Thursday night and Saturday, when there is a chance of snow and temperatures are expected to be several degrees cooler.

The forecast for Juneau International Airport calls for four additional inches of snow during the day Monday, four inches on Monday night and two inches during the day Tuesday.

The snowpack at the NWS Juneau office as of 9:30 a.m. Monday was about 32 to 33 inches, with SWE (Snow Water Equivalent) of six inches, according to a post at the station’s Facebook page. That amounts to about 31 to 32 pounds per square inch on a flat roof.

"This measurement is only representative for areas for the back of the valley," the post notes. "Blowing snow downtown and freezing rain mix for other areas could mean differences in snowpack SWE."

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