Photo courtesy of Mendenhall River Community School
NOTN- Students and staff at Mendenhall River Community School were relocated to Thunder Mountain Middle school today out of an abundance of caution after engineers raised concerns about the snow load on the roof in the gymnasium, according to a statement released by Juneau School District.
According to the statement, engineers conducted a walk-through inspection of the school and initially cleared the building for occupancy. However, during a second inspection the recommendation was made to relocate students and staff to TMMS.
District officials said all students and staff are safe.
Students were transported by school bus with their classes and teachers to TMMS, where families can pick them up after 1 p.m.
NOTN- Juneau schools and City and Borough of Juneau offices will be closed today as a winter storm warning takes effect earlier than expected, with forecasters calling for heavy snowfall and hazardous road conditions across much of Southeast Alaska.
The City and Borough of Juneau announced that all CBJ offices and the Juneau School District will be closed.
City staff will work remotely where possible and remain available by phone or email. Officials are urging residents to limit travel to allow snow removal crews to operate safely and efficiently.
According to the National Weather Service, snow is beginning this morning for much of Southeast, and intensifing through the afternoon, with peak snowfall around midday.
Updated forecasts issued late Sunday moved winter storm warnings up in time for Juneau, Pelican, Gustavus, Hoonah and Angoon.
The weather service said Juneau could see between 8 and 14 inches of snow by this evening, Snow is expected to start out light and fluffy before transitioning to wetter snow later tonight, meaning residents can shovel snow early before the snow becomes wet and dense.
City officials are encouraging residents to avoid unnecessary driving and to check road conditions if travel is unavoidable.
The Juneau Police Department is also asking the public to report slick intersections or dangerous road conditions to its non-emergency line.
Snow removal crews from CBJ Streets and the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities have been working through the weekend to prepare for the storm.
The record-breaking winter storm has created a dangerous and unprecedented situation for Fairweather Equestrian Center, where 17 horses remain confined indoors.
There are fears that the weight of heavy snow could cause the large barn roof to collapse.
Kristina Friend, who owns horses at Fairweather Stables off Industrial Boulevard, said the ongoing snowfall has left her and other caretakers facing risks they have never encountered before in decades of keeping horses in Juneau.
“I’ve had horses here since the 90s, and we’ve never seen a situation like this.” Friend said, “Usually, our large metal roof slides frequently on its own. But so far, it has not let loose.”
Because of the buildup of snow on the roof, all rear stall doors leading to outdoor paddocks have been locked. Friend said allowing the horses outside could put them directly beneath the roof if it suddenly sheds snow, not only that, Friend says that when snow slides happen, the horses can get spooked, meaning the current safest place remains inside in their stalls.
“We don’t live somewhere that has another facility to house 17 horses, so it’s not really an option to get them out of here and move them somewhere else.” Said Friend, “We’re not able to go into our paddocks to remove the snow because of how large of a building it is, if it was to let loose, it would bury us like an avalanche. So we’re not able to safely get below it to release it, because the barn is 170 feet long and almost just as wide.”
Attempts to address the problem have included flying guide wires over the roof with a drone in hopes of pulling snow loose, but the efforts have so far failed. Caretakers are now renting industrial heaters to try to warm the building enough to encourage snow to slide, though Friend said the barn’s size makes success uncertain.
Friend said there is still a lack of expertise and safety equipment to allow anyone onto the roof.
“We have no way of getting on the roof safely.” Friend Said, “We don’t have any type of equipment for tying anybody down or climbing equipment or anything like that. There’s no way to be up there.”
Friend said the barn’s community has come together to ensure the horses continue to receive care.
“We have a group chat going all the time,” she said. “Everybody pitches in to help with everybody’s horses. So we were making it through. It’s just the stress, it’s not just people that are trapped and not able to get out.”
Friend hopes the community understands the seriousness of the situation and that additional expertise or equipment may help prevent the worst case scenario.
“We’re very concerned the roof could collapse.” Friend said, “It’s so difficult to ask for help because everybody is so stretched thin. We are trying all the suggestions that have been given. We’re just really worried about the horse’s safety and the people for that matter.”
Tyler rental has supplied the Stable with a lift, to remove snow from the roof.
Screenshot courtesy of the National Weather Service Juneau
NOTN- City and Borough of Juneau facilities are closed today as hazardous road conditions followed a record-breaking overnight snowfall.
According to the National Weather Service in Juneau, 16.4 inches of snow fell Tuesday at Juneau International Airport, pushing the city’s December total to 79.8 inches.
The all-time record for snowfall in a single month in Juneau remains 86.3 inches, recorded in February 1965.
The heavy snowfall has prompted CBJ officials to close most city facilities and offices for the day, citing unsafe travel conditions.
There was even an avalanche advisory for Thane road on Tuesday afternoon, the road will remain closed until noon today when Alaska Department of Transportation will provide an updated status.
Juneau is set to experience more winter weather today with an extended winter storm advisory also until noon, before precipitation will become appreciably lighter through the latter half of the week, according to the National Weather Service.
City staff will continue providing services remotely where possible.
Facilities closed today include all Juneau Public Libraries, the Juneau-Douglas City Museum and all Juneau Parks and Recreation facilities, including the Dimond Park Field House, Dimond Park Aquatic Center, Augustus G. Brown Pool, Treadwell Arena and the Zach Gordon Youth Center.
City Hall, the CBJ Permit Center and all other CBJ offices are closed to the public but remain accessible by phone or email. The Juneau Recycling Center is also closed.
Capital Transit continues to operate on winter routes.
In a statement, City Manager Katie Koester thanked residents for limiting travel and allowing plow crews time to clear roads.
“This winter storm has been relentless, but Juneau always pulls together when confronted with adversity,” Koester said. “We ask, once again, that everyone limit driving today where possible for your safety and the safety of others.”
Residents are urged to continue monitoring conditions and exercise caution as cleanup efforts continue across the city.
AP- When turbulent weather with whipping winds and heavy snow is in the forecast, meteorologists sometimes warn that a storm could “bomb out” or become a bomb cyclone. But what exactly does this mean?
According to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, certain storms undergo bombogenesis, which happens when a storm’s central pressure drops at least 24 millibars in 24 hours. These storms are sometimes called bomb cyclones. Storm intensity is measured by central pressure, so the lower the pressure, the stronger the storm.
Such rapidly strengthening storms are capable of producing heavy rain, blizzard conditions and intense winds that can create dangerous conditions such as downed trees and power outages.
“If you’re watching TV at night and the weather report comes on and you’re hearing ‘bomb cyclone’ being used, that usually means there’s quite a bit of active weather going on,” said Andrew Orrison, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in College Park, Maryland.
Bomb cyclones can happen in any season, but mainly occur during fall and winter when frigid air from the Arctic can creep south and clash with warmer air masses.
“It’s really the clash of those air masses that really kind of helps to generate the areas of low pressure in the first place,” said Orrison.
Regions in North America that are prone to seeing bomb cyclones include Alaska, the Pacific Northwest and the Great Lakes region.
“It’s not common to get bomb cyclones at lower latitudes. So generally speaking, you wouldn’t see a bomb cyclone across, let’s say, the southern United States,” said Orrison.
NOTN- Cold weather and heavy snow have hit Juneau, schools are closed today and CBJ offices are opening late, but Streets and Fleets is making sure those who can’t avoid travel, will get where they need to go.
Scott Gray started working for the City and Borough of Juneau in 1994, his job involved hauling snow off city streets.
More than three decades later, Gray now oversees the entire Streets & Fleets division, responsible for maintaining hundreds of miles of roads, sidewalks and public vehicles across the capital city.
Gray is superintendent of CBJ’s Streets & Fleets division, which maintains more than 250 lane miles of roads and roughly 32 miles of sidewalks. The division also manages snow removal, pavement repairs, traffic signs, stormwater systems and emergency response during glacial flooding events.
“One year, we got 194 inches of snow,” Gray said in a post on CBJ’s Facebook. “We were hauling, and hauling, and hauling. Emergency vehicles weren’t going to move if we didn’t do something.”
The work of Streets & Fleets extends well beyond snowstorms.
Planning begins months in advance to ensure equipment is operational and staff schedules are in place before winter arrives.
“Our crews have shifts starting at one in the morning through the afternoon to keep roads safe.” Gray said.
According to CBJ Public Works Streets Division, the Street Maintenance Division provides equipment and staffing for year-round preservation and maintenance of CBJ streets.
Operations include pavement surface maintenance, pedestrian facility maintenance, street sweeping, maintenance of storm drain facilities and snow plowing and removal during the winter months.
A staff of 32 full-time and seasonal employees to keep the streets and sidewalks safe for public travel.
While CBJ crews maintain most city roads, major arterial routes such as Egan Drive, Douglas Highway and North Douglas Highway fall under the responsibility of the Alaska Department of Transportation.
The division’s full-time employees maintain more than 260 vehicles and pieces of equipment used by Public Works, Parks and Recreation, Docks and Harbors and Community Development departments. That includes heavy-duty trucks, off-road equipment, generators and fueling systems.
As infrastructure and technology evolve, so do the demands on fleet maintenance staff. CBJ currently operates four electric vehicles and plans to expand its EV fleet in the future. Modern equipment now relies heavily on computers and emissions systems, increasing the need for specialized maintenance.
CBJ-With snow coming to Juneau, CBJ Streets & Fleet Maintenance would like to share information about winter snow removal in Juneau.
CBJ Streets crews clear snow from the streets in order of the following priorities:
Clear access for emergency vehicles, public transit, commercial routes, and high-traffic streets.
Residential areas.
Low-traffic areas, including dead-end streets and cul-de-sacs.
Snow berms: Operators make every effort to minimize snow accumulation on private property. However, berms and windrows are unavoidable. Crews do not clear snow—including berms—from driveways.
Sidewalks and driveways: Property owners, landlords, and tenants are responsible for clearing snow and ice from sidewalks and driveways. Snow or ice may not be placed on any sidewalk, street, roadway, or parking area per CBJ 72.24.075.
Garbage cans: Please place garbage cans at least five feet from the edge of the street to prevent them from being damaged during snow removal.
Heavy snowfall brings challenges to both snow removal crews and property owners alike. CBJ Streets crews appreciate the work that you are doing to keep your home accessible, as well as your understanding of what our crews are able to accomplish.
