Record Alaska Snow Buries Juneau, Sinks Boats

In Juneau's harbors, the snowfall hasn't just piled up—it's pulled boats under. Alaska's capital logged nearly 7 feet of snow in December, its snowiest such month in more than eight decades, and the weight is taking a toll on everything from roofs to vessels, the Washington Post reports. Harbormaster Matthew Creswell says eight boats have sunk across the city's four harbors in recent days, with about three dozen more narrowly saved as crews rushed to shovel decks and pump out water. Some boats disappeared almost entirely; in one case, only the mast was visible above the icy surface.

On land, the same heavy, wet snow has caved in structures and strained a city built to withstand winter but not necessarily this much of it, this fast. A karate dojo roof, a gas station awning, and the roof of a downtown commercial building have all collapsed, as residents scramble—often at their own risk or expense—to clear rooftops. City manager Katie Koester says Juneau has even flown in help to dig out government buildings and secured a state waiver to dump plowed snow into the Gastineau Channel because there's nowhere else to put it. Officials are also asking residents to uncover buried fire hydrants using GPS coordinates posted online.

The storm was fueled by an atmospheric river slamming into a stubborn pocket of Arctic air, the National Weather Service says, creating days of snow interspersed with freezing rain. Climate assessments note that while Alaska's snow season is shrinking overall, warmer air can hold more moisture, leading to fewer but more intense snowstorms—especially along the southeast coast that includes Juneau. Anchorage, for instance, just broke a daily snowfall record with more than 9 inches Monday, prompting dozens of car crashes.

In Juneau, the concern is now shifting from deep snow to what happens when it gets wetter. With more rain in the forecast, avalanche warnings are up for neighborhoods below Mount Juneau, and residents there have been told to keep go-bags ready. Koester says the transition from snow to rain could further stress already loaded roofs, swamp storm drains locked in ice, and add even more weight to boats that have so far managed to stay afloat. The Weather Channel reports 40 inches of snow is currently on the ground in the city, and it's racing to clear as much as it can before the rain this week. The city has declared a local emergency, Alaska's News Source reports.