Winter Storm in City and Borough of Juneau, Alaska

Light and very dry snow began to fall the evening of Friday January 12th. After 9pm, rates increased and by 8am the Juneau Waste Water Treatment Plant COOP measured 7 inches of snow and similar amounts were measured at the NWS Weather Forecast Office in the Mendenhall Valley and near Lena Point that morning as well. Snow continued to fall through Saturday with several more inches accumulating then changed to freezing drizzle Sunday morning. This compacted the snow from the day before and created an icy crust. By late Sunday morning precipitation changed back to snow and began to add up again. Snowfall rates were very heavy throughout the Monday holiday and density of the the snow was wet and difficult to move. Storm total snowfall at the NWS Office was 33.1 inches and an NWS employee on North Douglas measured a storm total of 38 inches.

An avalanche occurred around 6pm Monday along Thane Road in a known avalanche area and another avalanche occurred the following day in the Berhends slide area. No damage occurred from either avalanche. Snow diminished late on the 15th, but schools were closed for Tuesday to allow for continued snow removal. USCG and Juneau Docks & Harbors department confirmed that 3 vessels sank in the harbors due to the weight of the snow with a rough estimated loss of $100k. In all they had 8 vessels that were at is of sinking and a gangway at the Douglas Harbor, they were able to save 5 vessels and the gangway.

Over an extended long weekend event, a prefrontal trough followed by a stronger main system with attached moisture plume, delivered first a wave of dry powdery snow with very high snow rations (40:1 to 50:1 in many places). The next wave/front of snow was wetter and difficult to shovel, with some places seeing a period of freezing drizzle in between the two waves. As the 2nd front tracked southward on the 16th, bringing snow to those areas and extending the duration of the event.