Schools and city buildings across Juneau, Alaska, are closed Friday as a fresh round of snow and rain will hit the massive piles of snow already in the capital, bringing the risk of disastrous flooding and avalanches.
City officials issued an avalanche advisory Thursday, saying the risk remains "high and very likely to significantly increase." Evacuations were not ordered, but residents in avalanche zones were advised to stay on alert and be ready to evacuate if necessary.
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Flood watches are in effect across the Alaska Panhandle for Friday into Saturday night. TheNational Weather Servicesays several inches of snow could fall by early Friday before transitioning into heavy rain.
That's on top of the more than 30 inches of snow already on the ground after back-to-back storms. Teams of workers and volunteers have been shoveling rooftops, digging out vehicles and sunken boats and hauling out truckloads of snow.
But the city is running out of places to pile up all that precipitation.
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Some of the snow was being shoved off piers and ports into the Gastineau Channel after Alaska's Department of Energy gavespecial authorizationfor clean, freshly fallen snow to be dumped in open water.
But the melting snow is already causing some flooding, in aFacebook postthe city shared video showing a bus navigating through a flooded street Wednesday.
Governor Mike Dunleavy declared a state disaster Wednesday, one day after Juneau officials announced anemergency disaster declaration, requesting state assistance.
This all follows record snow in Juneau during Christmas and into the New Year. December was the second snowiest month on record, which dates back to 1948.
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The Alaska capital picked up 82 inches (almost 7 feet) of snowfall, more than half of which fell in just five days from Dec. 27-31. That's almost an entire year's worth of snow.
The crushing weight sank boats and caused roofs to cave in on multiple homes and buildings.
Fifty inches of snow at the airport on New Year's Eve set an all-time snow depth record.
And now a soaking rain is ahead for the snow-clogged city.Weather.comsenior meteorologistJonathan Erdmanexplains that rain on top of the snowpack makes it significantly heavier and that will likely result in more roof collapses over the next few days, especially on flat roofs.
City officials released maps of storm drains, encouraging residents to help clear them to prevent flooding. They also encouraged residents to stay off the roads as crews work to prepare for the melting snow and rain.
