The snow did not arrive as a postcard scene. It arrived as weight enough that, in Juneau’s harbors, only the top of a mast could show where a sailboat had been.
In Alaska’s capital, nearly seven feet of snow (82 inches) fell in December, the snowiest December there in more than 80 years, according to the National Weather Service. More than half of that total piled up in the final five days of the month, with bouts of freezing rain mixing into the snowfall and turning drifts into a heavier, denser load.
That density matters in a coastal city where people live between mountains and water, and winter infrastructure has limited places to “put” a season’s worth of precipitation. It matters on rooftops that are hard to access safely. It matters on decks and cabin tops in a harbor where a boat can take on water slowly, then suddenly, and tip. And it matters for residents who have to decide often with little guidance and less daylight what to shovel, what to hire out, and what risks are too large either way.
At the four city harbors overseen by Juneau Harbormaster Matthew Creswell, eight boats sank in recent days as snow piled onto vessels already exposed to wind, spray, and freeze-thaw cycles.“All four of my harbors I’ve had sinkers in,” he said. “It’s a mess.” Creswell said the storm left boats buried under about 45 pounds per square foot of snow load, enough to push some hulls low in the water and overwhelm bilge systems. His office sent text alerts urging owners to clear snow, but some residents could not reach the docks for days.
In town, the same physics played out overhead. Juneau’s city manager, Katie Koester, described how residents and building owners rushed to clear roofs while officials monitored for avalanches. “It’s a real challenge because not all the roofs are accessible, and it’s quite dangerous to go up on a lot of roofs,” Koester said. The wet snow’s crushing weight contributed to multiple collapses, including a martial arts dojo and commercial structures.
The City and Borough of Juneau has previously cautioned that there is no single, borough-wide trigger for roof clearing, noting variables such as roof design, drifting, and ice buildup; an information sheet offers general thresholds and safety warnings about falls and overexertion, including guidance to consider clearing some roofs after roughly 2½ to 3 feet of accumulation.
Juneau’s storm also exposed a quieter logistical problem: snow has to go somewhere. Koester said the city received an exemption from the state to dump snow in the Gastineau Channel, a move that can carry environmental tradeoffs because plowed snow can contain pollutants from roads and parking lots, including metals and oils, as outlined in state guidance on snow disposal.
Behind all of it sits a broader winter pattern that residents feel even when the day-to-day forecast shifts. Warmer air can hold more moistureabout 4% more per 1°F which can translate into heavier snow when temperatures stay below freezing. In Juneau, that combination turned a single month into a stress test for roofs, boats, plows, and the people tasked with keeping the city running as snow gave way to rain.
