Alix Soliman

The roof of the Bill Ray Center, an empty building on F Street in downtown Juneau, collapsed Tuesday following back-to-back snowstorms and rain.

Although Tuesday’s rain has melted some of the several feet of snow that’s accumulated over more than a week, dripping roofs can still hold a lot of weight.  

The warm-up has also caused roadways to pool with water due to poor drainage from snow and ice blocking storm drains. The snowpack is also becoming more dense and harder to move.

That’s made shoveling roofs more risky.

Spencer Goodwin is taking a break from his day job as a property manager to shovel roofs for as low as $1000 and up to $4000 for the biggest homes. He said that at first, he was in it for the cash. 

“Now, it’s become desperation to try to save buildings at this point,” he said.

He said his body aches after several days of shoveling, so now he’s coordinating crews with fresh arms. He had three men fly in from Anchorage Monday morning to help.  

It’s a dangerous job. Goodwin told KTOO that two members of his crew fell from a roof, but that they were alright. 

“As the snow gets heavier — and wetter — it becomes more slippery on the roofs, becomes a little bit more dangerous,” he said.

The work also goes slower. He said he’s been turning away requests because his crew just can’t fulfill them all.

At this point, it appears the market isn’t meeting the roof-clearing demand. Residents looking for help with roofs must decide whether to wait for someone who is licensed and insured, or take the risk of hiring someone who could potentially get injured or damage their property.

The National Weather Service estimates that a flat roof may currently be holding approximately 40.04 lbs. per square foot, based on ground measurements made Tuesday morning at the agency’s forecast office in Mendenhall Valley. 

Juneau emergency officials say that’s about the weight capacity for most homes built before 1991.

Clarification: This story has been updated to reflect that the National Weather Service’s measurement on Tuesday was for approximately how much snow is currently sitting on a flat roof. 

Residents of Juneau are living in a snow globe. Another winter storm began Sunday night, dropping more snow on top of the 4 feet that fell just after Christmas.  

City offices and facilities will remain closed Tuesday, as well as local schools.

During a break in the snow over the weekend, many residents prepared for the oncoming winter storm by digging out roofs, driveways and cars. 

As of Monday afternoon, the National Weather Service reported 6 inches to a foot of snow have fallen in Juneau during the ongoing storm.

Nicole Ferrin, the warning coordination meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Juneau, expects more precipitation throughout the panhandle Tuesday, with a lot of variation depending on location. She said that although the temperature has risen above freezing in some areas, it hasn’t consistently changed over to rain. 

“We’re definitely seeing some unusual observations as far as temperatures right now,” she said on Monday afternoon. “Kake is up to 34 degrees, but they’re still snowing.”

Ferrin said that’s because it can still be cold enough in the clouds to produce snow. But she said the precipitation can switch back and forth. At this point, snow showers are expected to continue in Juneau through Tuesday. 

Juneau Harbormaster Matt Creswell said the city’s docks and harbors department brought on nine additional staff members, doubling the team, to clear snow and pump out boats. He said no more boats have sunk since last week, so far. 

“We feel like we’re finally catching up a little bit and getting our heads back above water,” he said.

The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation has authorized the city to dump relatively clean snow into Gastineau Channel as operators run out of space on land. That does not include snow from highways, which has been polluted by salt and de-icing chemicals. 

The city also published a map of fire hydrants and storm drains on Monday. It also announced that residents can park for free in one of the city parking garages downtown in order to help clear the streets for plowing. 

The city is still tallying damages from the record snowfall. Part of the Fred Meyer gas station awning, at least one carport, and the roof of a martial arts dojo near the airport collapsed under the weight of the snowpack last week. 

Doug Murray has been the chief instructor at the dojo for a decade. 

“That’s a big blow,” he said of the cave-in. “If we go out and look elsewhere, you know, and for a place to rent, it’s most likely going to be three to four times the cost we were paying.”

He says the Dojo has been renting the building for more than 40 years. Now, the group is looking for another space to practice while the building owners assess the structure.

This story has been updated with school and city facility closures. 

The City and Borough of Juneau issued an avalanche alert via text Monday afternoon, telling residents in the Mount Juneau slide path to be prepared.

It’s the second avalanche alert issued in the last week, as record-breaking snow blankets the community and the mountains above it.  

Ryan O’Shaughnessy, Juneau’s emergency programs manager, said the alert is not an evacuation advisory. 

“It’s reminding folks to be prepared to evacuate, and that conditions can change rapidly,” he said. 

He said that the historic 4-foot snowpack appeared to stabilize over the weekend. But on Monday the avalanche risk rose again due to a change in the weather. 

“With new snowfall today, warming temperatures and high winds in the forecast, avalanche danger is increasing,” he said.

The alert covers residents in the Behrends and White neighborhoods, as well as Thane Road. The road remains open, but drivers are reminded not to stop in the avalanche zone. 

In the event of an avalanche evacuation, O’Shaugnessy said Centennial Hall will be the emergency shelter and the American Red Cross has resources staged there now. He also said the Alaska Department of Transportation is prepared to clear evacuation routes. 

He said the avalanches that DOT triggered above Thane Road on Gastineau Ridge last week weren’t very large, and that tells him two things: the snowpack is a bit more stubborn than anticipated, and there is still a lot of snow up there.

Update: The Alaska Department of Transportation reopened Thane Road on Thursday. 

The City and Borough of Juneau is warning residents about urban avalanches a bit differently this year in an effort to help residents in the downtown avalanche zone understand how they should respond to the danger. 

The city posted its new avalanche information webpage on Monday, the day before it issued an avalanche advisory for the Behrends neighborhood and Thane Road that remains in effect. 

The Alaska Department of Transportation closed Thane Road Tuesday evening and observed several small avalanches in the area overnight. The department plans to fly helicopters over the area to trigger avalanches using explosives or a blast device called a DaisyBell on Thursday starting at 11 a.m.

Juneau activated its new avalanche communications strategy as a winter storm dumped around four feet of snow on the capital city over roughly four days. 

Nicole Ferrin, a warning coordination meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Juneau, said at a press briefing Wednesday that the winter storm brought new snow records with it. 

“The depth was 50 inches of snow on the ground, which is the deepest snow depth ever recorded at the Juneau Airport,” she said, adding that the previous record for accumulated snow was 41 inches in February 1949. 

Weather officials say more than 80 inches of snow has fallen at Juneau International Airport this December, making this the city’s second snowiest month ever recorded so far. The month-long record was set in February 1965 at 86.3 inches. For reference, Juneau averages around 88 inches of snow all winter. 

City officials say they’ve changed messaging around avalanche danger to help people understand what to do. 

The biggest change is that the city is no longer expressing avalanche danger on a scale from one — low — to five — extreme. Now, it’s using a “ready, set, go” system instead. 

Ryan O’Shaughnessy is the emergency programs manager for the City and Borough of Juneau. He says the five-point scale was geared towards backcountry recreation like skiing and snowmobiling, and didn’t really tell residents living in an avalanche path how they should respond. 

“There is not a recognized urban avalanche hazard scale that’s widely used and accepted by avalanche forecasters, and that’s largely because there are not many places in the United States that have the urban avalanche hazard that Juneau has,” he said.

The five-point scale included both the likelihood and size of an avalanche. Now, O’Shaugnessy says the focus is on the potential downhill impact. 

“When we start seeing conditions developing that are trending towards a threat to life, safety or public infrastructure, that’s where we’re at an ‘elevated risk.’”

He says residents in hazard zones should always be ‘ready’ during a winter storm, meaning they should stay up-to-date with weather conditions. When the city issues an advisory saying there’s an elevated avalanche risk, they should get ‘set’ by packing a bag and preparing to stay with friends or family outside of the avalanche zone. An evacuation notice means ‘go’ immediately. 

He says it’s too dangerous to trigger avalanches above the Behrends neighborhood, so leaving in the event of an evacuation notice is the best strategy. 

The city is sending emergency alerts via cell phone notifications that residents can opt into. O’Shaughnessy urges people to sign up and says roughly 10% of Juneau’s population is on the list. 

“That’s absolutely the best way to stay up to date on hazard awareness and any protective actions that may be required,” he said. 

O’Shaughnessy said the city won’t rule out going door-to-door to warn residents, as it has in the past, but text alerts reach people faster. 

The other change is that city staff are no longer evaluating snowpack in the field to issue an independent avalanche forecast. Instead, O’Shaughnessy said the city is relying on forecasts prepared by professionals at the Alaska Department of Transportation and the Coastal Alaska Avalanche Center.

The National Weather Service’s winter storm warning ended today at noon and snowfall is expected to taper off Thursday, but the avalanche danger remains.

Update, 7 p.m. Thursday:

Thane Road is now open.

The Alaska Department of Transportation posted on Facebook that crews had completed avalanche mitigation Thursday and reopened the road.

“Drivers are reminded not to stop in the avalanche zone and to use caution while traveling,” the post reads.

An avalanche advisory remains in effect for the Behrends neighborhood and other areas of downtown in the Mount Juneau slide path.

Update, 1:30 p.m. Wednesday:

Thane Road remains closed as the avalanche risk above it and the Behrends neighborhood remains high.

DOT plans to conduct avalanche mitigation Thursday morning above Thane Road if weather allows. Until then, the road remains closed for safety.

Update, 8:30 a.m. Wednesday:

Thane Road remains closed due to avalanche risk until at least noon Wednesday.

According to an update from the Alaska Department of Transportation, the avalanche hazard remains high for the portion of the road between the avalanche gates.

“DOT&PF crews are continuing to assess conditions. We will provide an updated status around 12:00 PM today,” the update reads.

Original story:

The city issued an alert Tuesday afternoon to residents living in downtown Juneau that avalanche conditions are elevated in the areas above Behrends Avenue and Thane Road. 

The alert is not an evacuation advisory. But the city advises residents in the affected areas to prepare for an evacuation if conditions continue to worsen.

The alert comes after more than 30 inches of snow and freezing rain have fallen in the capital city during an ongoing winter storm. The city activated its new avalanche information page on Monday.

Ryan O’Shaughnessy, the emergency programs manager for the City and Borough of Juneau, says now is the time for residents within those areas to pack a ‘go bag’ and make plans to stay with friends or family in case evacuation is necessary.

“Folks need to be prepared to leave their homes at a moment’s notice,” he said. “I think one of the key things with avalanche hazard, specifically, is that things can change very rapidly and very quickly, and folks need to be prepared.”

Both areas are prone to avalanches. In January 2024, an avalanche blocked Thane Road and another dusted homes in the Behrends neighborhood after more than 30 inches of snow fell during a storm. No damage was reported in either incident.

Patrick Dryer is an avalanche forecaster and geohazard specialist at the Alaska Department of Transportation. He said the department will close Thane Road Tuesday at 8 p.m. in case there is a large avalanche, and will reassess in the morning. 

“They could be large enough to reach the roadway and have debris on the roadway blocking access,” Dryer said. “And so we are doing our preventative closure here tonight during a period of increased hazard for everybody’s safety.”

Dryer dug a snow pit to evaluate the avalanche risk on Gastineau Ridge on Monday. He said Juneau’s extended cold, dry snap earlier this month created weak layers in the snowpack. Then this warmer winter storm piled on heavy snow. 

“So we’re rapidly adding stress, adding weight to those weak layers that has the potential to fail, resulting in large avalanches,” he said. 

But he says this snowfall pattern is unusual for Juneau, so he has a high level of uncertainty about the avalanche forecast. 

“Is there going to be large avalanches, or will there be no avalanches?” he said. “With the intense precipitation and heavy snowfall we’ve had, we haven’t had a lot of observed avalanches. So, you know, it changes so fast.” 

A winter storm warning remains in effect until noon Wednesday. Forecasters say another storm might be on its way to Juneau by the end of the week.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates. 

Listen to this story:

The darkest day of the year has officially passed. Now, the days are growing brighter. Dozens of Juneau residents marked the occasion at Mendenhall Campground with a ‘light the night’ winter solstice event on Sunday, hosted by the Juneau Nordic Ski Club.

The sun set just after 3 p.m., casting a stripe of pink and gold alpenglow on the sheer peaks that tower above Mendenhall Glacier. Mary Ann Parke kicked into her cross-country skis and set off on the campground’s groomed trail. 

“It’s just absolutely beautiful,” she said. 

Ice crystals clung to her face as she returned from taking a few laps around the three-kilometer loop. 

“It’s really fun skiing between the lights — they got them strung all the way up around the big loop,” she said. 

Parke was there to support the Juneau Nordic Ski Club, which organized the event as a fundraiser.  

As twilight fell, so did the temperature. String lights and ice lanterns illuminated the trail, shadowy figures of snow-laden evergreens and skiers bundled up in warm layers. 

Although meteorological winter began Dec. 1 with the change in weather, astronomical winter officially began Dec. 21 on winter solstice — when Earth’s Northern Hemisphere tilts its furthest from the sun. The North Pole is shrouded in all-day darkness; the South Pole is bathed in all-day light. 

Tristan Knutson-Lombardo is the executive director of the Juneau Nordic Ski Club. He clicked on dozens of battery-powered tea lights to place in paper lanterns along the trail.

“It’s to light up the darkest night and look forward to brighter days ahead,” he said.

For him, the darkest day signals the ski season. But it means more than that, too. 

“Solstice has always been such a social occasion for me, so I think it’s just one more opportunity to gather,” he said. 

He said volunteers run the club and groom trails around Juneau for youth teams to practice and race on. That benefits Juneau’s wider cross-country ski community of all ages.

“On a good winter and a good day, we could have close to 40 kilometers at different sites around town,” he said. 

Finley Hightower made his way to a tent with homemade cookies and hot chocolate for sale. He’s a recent graduate from Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé, and was on the Nordic ski team his senior year. 

“My younger brothers are still on the Nordic ski team, and I really enjoyed it last year,” he said. “It’s a great experience. It’s great fitness. It’s just awesome overall.”

Hightower’s here to support the team and join in the festivities.

Clint Farr sold finger and toe warmers to attendees as a volunteer. He said the passing of the darkest day is a sigh of relief. 

“It’s the place in the year where I’m like, ‘hoo, I made it,’” he said. “The days are going to start getting longer. I feel a lot better. Time for a party.”

As twilight turned to night, people packed together like penguins. They sipped hot drinks, skied the loop and socialized. Farr called it a “resounding success.”