Tag: winter

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Juneau schools, city offices close as another winter storm warning takes effect

A snowblower, photo courtesy of CBJ

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.

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Avalanche risk elevated on Mount Juneau, Thane Road is reopened, but officials warn residents to stay alert

CBJ- No significant new snowfall is expected until early next week. Avalanche risk remains elevated on Mount Juneau slide paths affecting the White Subdivision, Behrends Ave, and all neighborhoods below Mount Juneau.

Residents should visit CBJ’s avalanche advisory page to be informed of their risk.

This week’s historic storm has created conditions that may persist over an extended period, requiring continued awareness even without daily changes. Conditions can change quickly with little warning.

CBJ will send alerts if conditions worsen. 

Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF)’s avalanche hazard reduction work was completed yesterday morning.

Thane Road has reopened. DOT&PF reminds drivers not to stop in the avalanche zone and to use caution while travelling on Thane Road. 

Moving forward CBJ will only issue alerts like these if conditions worsen or major changes are observed. The absence of an alert does not mean the hazard has diminished. You can find current hazard levels at bit.ly/CBJavalanche.

This is not an evacuation advisory. Residents should remain alert, have a go-bag ready, know their risk, and stay signed up for emergency alerts. 

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Winter storm sinks eight vessels in Juneau harbors as crews run out of resources

Photo courtesy of Docks and Harbors’ Facebook page

NOTN- Prolonged heavy snowfall and extreme winter conditions have sunk at least eight vessels in Juneau’s harbors, and have required urgent response from Docks and Harbors crews who say they are rapidly running out of resources as the storm continues.

City officials said three additional large vessels sank overnight, bringing the total number of boats lost during the storm to eight. Docks and Harbors officials said Dozens of other vessels have been saved through round-the-clock efforts by Docks and Harbors staff, and by quick action from fellow harbor users and boat owners.

Crews have been working nearly nonstop, deploying every available dewatering pump as heavy snow accumulation overwhelms vessels and dock infrastructure.

Despite those efforts, officials warned that conditions remain severe and that limited equipment and personnel are straining the response.

Juneau Docks and Harbors urged the public to report any vessel at risk of sinking. Harbor staff can be reached at 907-586-5255, and after hours, residents are asked to call the Juneau Police Department’s non-emergency line at 907-586-0600.

In response to the scale of the storm, Docks and Harbors is bringing back seasonal summer staff and has created short-term emergency employment positions to assist with snow removal.

“This is truly an all-hands-on-deck event,” officials said in a Facebook post, thanking harbor users and the Juneau community for their support.

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City facilities remain closed as the record breaking snowfall in Juneau extends advisory until noon

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.

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How bomb cyclones form and create dangerous conditions

Photo courtesy of CBJ

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.

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Juneau Airport has seen more days below zero in the last two weeks than in the last 16 years combined

NOTN- Juneau set yet another record low temperature this December, making it 5 days this month that the Juneau Airport has seen daily lows below zero.

On December 23 Juneau Airport set a new record low of -10 degrees, and according to the National Weather service in Juneau, the airport has had more days below zero in the last two weeks than its had in the last 16 years combined.

Southeast Alaska is also facing a stretch of dangerously cold weather followed by a shift toward snow and mixed precipitation as the week progresses, according to the National Weather Service.

Forecasters say the region is currently in the grip of very cold, dry air bringing frigid temperatures and hazardous wind chills that are expected to persist through today.

Christmas day will bring a pattern change, as clouds increase and snow chances ramp up across the panhandle. By Friday night and into the weekend, a stronger weather system moving in from the Gulf of Alaska could bring moderate to heavy snow to parts of the region.

Residents are urged to monitor updated forecasts and prepare for rapidly changing weather conditions, especially during the holiday travel period.

The National Weather Service said additional advisories and warnings may be issued as the system develops.

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Juneau Parks and Recreation promotes Winter Pass; highlights community support amid budget talks

NOTN- Juneau’s Parks and Recreation Department has a full slate of programs this winter, even as city officials prepare for difficult budget decisions that could affect long-term funding.

Mark Wheeler, recently appointed director of City and Borough of Juneau Parks and Recreation, said as the City and Borough of Juneau continues discussions on its upcoming budget, funding remains the department’s biggest challenge.

“Our biggest constraints are funding with our budget.” said Wheeler, “If you care about parks and Rec, we would love to have your voice be heard.”

Parks and Recreation operates multiple facilities and programs across the community, and future citywide cuts could force some difficult decisions.

The city will roll out a three phase public engagement process to better understand community priorities, facing next fiscal year.

“We are doing a public process, we will try and figure out what we need to know from the residents and how they can engage with us about these services and other things that are going to be affected by the budget cuts.” Said Juneau Mayor Beth Weldon, “So what we hope to achieve is basically gathering community input to have a deeper understanding and depth of knowledge of our CBJ services.”

In January, residents can expect an online survey, with QR codes distributed throughout the community for easy access.

The final phase will involve in-person engagement, featuring small interactive workshops, limited to 25 participants each for deeper discussion as well as a community listening session where citizens can testify about the budget.

Even facing the upcoming funding challenges, the department is promoting several winter offerings designed to keep residents active through Juneau’s bitter cold this December, including its winter recreation pass.

The Parks and Recreation winter pass is available for $200 and provides unlimited access through March 31 to city pools, the Treadwell Arena, the Dimond Park Field House and the Mt. Jumbo Gym. Wheeler described the pass as one of the department’s best values.

“It’s a great bargain,” he said.

Parks and Recreation staff are also encouraging residents to follow the department online for updates on programs, facility schedules and upcoming events as the season progresses.

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Winter Snow Removal Tips and Guidelines from CBJ Streets & Fleets

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: 

  1. Clear access for emergency vehicles, public transit, commercial routes, and high-traffic streets. 
  2. Residential areas. 
  3. 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. 

For more detailed information about snow removal on CBJ-owned streets, please visit juneau.org/engineering-public-works/streets/winter-maintenance-information.  

For information about snow removal priorities on DOT highways, please visit dot.alaska.gov/stwdmno/wintermap. 

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