Clarise Larson

A drop in new and existing jobs is forecast in Southeast Alaska this year due to federal layoffs, funding cuts and steady population decline in the region, according to a recent report released by the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

Economist Dan Robinson heads the state’s labor research department. He said the region is expected to lose about 100 jobs this year, but it’s not clear exactly how many of those are in the federal sector.

“We don’t yet have a really good handle on what our federal job numbers will be, but they’re not growing for the first time in a long time,” he said. “They’re almost certain to fall.”

Robinson said the Trump administration’s continuous push to shrink the federal workforce and reduce government spending will counter job growth in the Southeast region.

According to preliminary data, the department estimates Alaska lost about 300 federal jobs statewide in 2025, and more cuts are expected this year.

Robinson said those cuts, paired with Southeast’s steadily declining birth rates and outmigration, will likely put major constraints on the region’s economy. A previous report by the department found Southeast’s overall population is projected to drop by about 17% by 2050, or roughly 12,000 people.

“Fundamentally, what’s a challenge for Southeast region is our negative net migration, so more people wanting to leave the region than move here,” he said. 

Cruise ship tourism and mining continue to be bright spots for Southeast jobs and its economy. Last year, Juneau welcomed just under 1.7 million cruise ship passengers, and new and proposed docks are anticipated to open up more job opportunities.

The state overall is expected to experience a 1% growth of an additional 3,000 jobs this year. Most of that is made up of jobs in oil and gas, health care, construction and transportation, according to the report.

City and tribal leaders in Juneau announced a disaster declaration last night.  

The declaration opens the doors for the city to request aid from the state. The mayor said that Gov. Mike Dunleavy has verbally approved the request and will send a state emergency management specialist Thursday.

Last week, the capital city was inundated with more than four feet of snow after prolonged cold temperatures. Then another storm hit beginning Sunday, with snow turning to rain on Tuesday. Now, the city is bracing for another storm expected to bring heavy rain this weekend. 

In a joint letter, Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska President Richard Chalyee Éesh Peterson and Juneau Mayor Beth Weldon said both entities have exhausted their resources and need additional help. 

The letter asks the state to assist by providing equipment and personnel to clear snow from the roofs of public buildings, fire hydrants and storm drains. 

The heavy snow has collapsed some roofs across town and multiple boats have sunk at Juneau’s harbors. 

Ryan O’Shaughnessy, the city’s emergency programs manager, said one of his main concerns is that the snow could collapse the roofs of public buildings like schools, water treatment plants and the hospital.

“We’ve been working really closely with our insurers, with our Engineering and Public Works Department and licensed engineers to determine the load on the roofs of critical facilities, and in many cases, we are approaching the designed snow load of those facilities,” he said. 

Nicole Ferrin, the warning coordination meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Juneau, said the weight of snow on a flat roof could be around 41.6 pounds per square foot based on a ground measurement made Wednesday morning. 

That’s increased by about a pound-and-half per square-foot since Tuesday.

“That measurement is for the back of the Valley,” Ferrin said. “Other parts of town had different amounts of snow and/or rain in the last week.” 

She added that the pitch of a roof can also influence how much snow it’s holding. 

The declaration letter also requests help with avalanche monitoring and mitigation. Multiple neighborhoods in the downtown area have been on alert for high avalanche risk since Dec. 30.

Officials from the city, Tlingit and Haida, National Weather Service, and Alaska Department of Transportation will hold a press briefing at 4:00 p.m. Wednesday to share information about avalanche risk, the coming atmospheric river and state assistance. City officials said that representatives from the State of Alaska Emergency Operations Center will also be at the briefing.

The Assembly will hold a special meeting Wednesday evening at 5:15 p.m. to adopt a resolution officially approving the declaration.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Boxes of food, mail and late Christmas presents arrived by plane to the small Southeast Alaska fishing town of Pelican on New Year’s Day. The goods came after the isolated town went more than a month without access to outside services. 

From late November till New Year’s Day, the Chichigof Island town of Pelican relied completely on itself. Extreme weather this winter prevented any seaplanes and or ferries from visiting during that period, leaving its roughly 90 residents cut off from the rest of the region and the services many rely on. 

However, that all changed on New Year’s Day last week when Alaska Seaplanes sent five planes loaded with goods. 

 

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“We have kind of like a shot in our arm, just like to make it,” said Heather Bryant, a Pelican resident and cowner of the Pelican General Store, the town’s only grocery store. 

Bryant said the flights on New Year’s Day were a lifeline.

“But definitely more and more people have been just coming into the store, just because they’re mining their pantries, and I think are running out of stuff,” she said. 

Pelican is off the road system, and relies exclusively on planes and boats visiting from Juneau and other parts of Southeast to bring outside resources and services. But in recent weeks, Southeast Alaska has been pummeled with record-breaking snow and cold temperatures.

An Allen Marine catamaran that was supposed to head from Juneau to Pelican on Tuesday was cancelled due to hazardous conditions. Another flight from Alaska Seaplanes made the trip instead. Bryant said the deliveries — which included milk and eggs, produce and mail — will help them make it by for the time being.

“We’ll be okay for a little bit, and hopefully long enough to make it to the next plane or the next catamaran I hope – I’m just trying to stay positive,” she said. 

In the meantime, Bryant said the town is resilient despite all the cancellations. 

“The one thing I really like about out here is just people are just, they just keep going,” she said. 

Carl Ramseth is the general manager of Alaska Seaplanes. He said the recent weather has prevented many flights from visiting Pelican and other float plane destinations in Southeast Alaska like Angoon, Elfin Cove and Tenakee Springs. But pilots and operators fly when they can, like on New Years Day, when the company typically doesn’t operate.

“As long as we have the minimum temperature that we need to do that with float planes and good visibility, we’ll be operating,” he said. “We’re just kind of at the mercy of Mother Nature at this point.”

Another Allen Marine vessel is slated to arrive at the end of the month.

Update, Sunday: 

Fred Meyer reopened Sunday.

Update, Saturday 2 p.m.:

Fred Meyer remains closed. Nugget Mall is also closed due to snow accumulation.

Original story: 

It’s a new year, but Juneau residents are still digging out from four feet of snow that fell this week.

The heavy snow collapsed the roof of at least one Juneau business, and others have closed for snow removal. 

Fred Meyer closed early on Thursday and did not reopen on Friday morning. 

“Our Juneau Fred Meyer is temporarily closed to allow for snow removal and will reopen as soon as possible,” said Tiffany Sanders, a spokesperson for Fred Meyer, on Friday morning. “Thank you for your patience and understanding.”

It’s unclear when the grocery store will reopen to the public. The Fred Meyer gas station is also closed after part of its awning collapsed. 

The roof of the Juneau Shotokan Karate dojo in the Mendenhall Valley collapsed on Wednesday morning, according to Vice President of the Board Sandy Burgess. She wrote on social media that no one was inside the building at the time.

At least nine vessels and multiple boat shelters sank at Juneau’s harbors throughout the week. The city’s docks and harbors staff are working around the clock to respond to reports and are pleading with owners to check their vessels.

Harbormaster Matt Creswell said dozens of boats have had near misses.

“It’s going to be a long process with the number of boats that are currently sunk, but staff are ready for that challenge,” he said on Friday morning. “We’ll be working in earnest, starting today, raising vessels, but expect that to be a couple week process to get everything up.”

The Alaska Department of Transportation reopened Thane Road on New Year’s Day after performing avalanche mitigation that morning. Officials say the avalanche danger remains high in all neighborhoods below Mount Juneau.

According to the National Weather Service, more than 80 inches of snow fell at Juneau International Airport last month. It made December the capital city’s second snowiest month ever recorded.

As plowing and roof clearing continue throughout the community, where to put all the snow is becoming an issue. 

“The snow removal process takes a long time because we basically have to either, with snowblowers or loaders, load all that snow into dump trucks and take it away,” City Manager Katie Koester said during a press availability on Wednesday. “We’re also having challenges at the snow storage sites, just because of the tremendous amount of snow.”

No major snow is forecast to fall in Juneau until Monday. However, temperatures are expected to drop this weekend.

This post has been updated. 

Update, Wednesday 8:30 a.m.:

City facilities remain closed due to snow. That includes offices, libraries, parks and recreation facilities and the recycling center.

Capital City Transit remains on winter bus routes.

Original story:

City and state facilities remain closed again on Tuesday after record-breaking snowfall in Juneau. 

Official snow totals from the National Weather Service confirm that Juneau has broken its all-time snow record for the month of December with 63.7 inches as of Tuesday morning.

The previous record from December 1964 was 54.7 inches. 

The city originally planned a delayed opening of facilities and services at noon, but then cancelled late Tuesday morning. That means City Hall, public libraries and parks and recreation facilities are all closed. Many businesses have announced closures or reduced hours. 

“Residents are encouraged to continue to exercise caution and limit driving where possible until road conditions improve,” the city posted on social media Tuesday. 

Bartlett Regional Hospital also cancelled all non-emergency services on Tuesday. 

Juneau’s Docks and Harbors department pleaded for boat owners to check their vessels on Tuesday. Multiple boats and boat shelters have sunk under the weight of the snow.

“Every boat in the harbor right now is in danger of sinking if not cared for,” said Harbormaster Matt Creswell on Tuesday afternoon. “If you have a vessel, or know someone that has a vessel, please come down, clear it off and maybe help your neighbor clear theirs.”

Andrew Park is a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Juneau. He says this storm, which arrived Dec. 27, has already delivered 30 inches of snow to Juneau and could bring 7 to 10 more inches. 

“It’s just been a heck of a storm — and yes, we’re not out of it yet, so don’t get complacent,” he said. “We’ve got more snow on the way, and we’ll see what we get out by Wednesday morning.”

Park said the snow load on roofs is a concern, especially for those in the Back Loop area of Mendenhall Valley, where he estimates snow could weigh somewhere around 36 pounds per square foot. 

He said to be careful not to block vents when clearing roofs. 

“Especially as you push snow off your roof, you’re going to plug your vent to your house (and) now you’ve got carbon monoxide building up in your home,” Park said.

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.

In this newscast:

• A winter storm dumped more than two feet of snow and freezing rain on the capital city this holiday weekend. As of Monday, residents were still trying to dig out as more snow fell.
• For decades, Alaska officials have dreamed of a pipeline that would ferry natural gas hundreds of miles from the North Slope to an export terminal in Cook Inlet. Over the years, the state has pumped hundreds of millions of dollars into designing and permitting for the project, which is estimated to cost tens of billions of dollars to construct. While President Trump has framed the pipeline as a centerpiece to his plans for unleashing the country’s energy, there are many questions surrounding the mega project, including whether there’s a large enough market for the gas it would carry and what kind of environmental impact it could have.
• The City of Bethel has agreed to pay a combined settlement of $10 million to two people accusing Bethel police officers of using excessive force.