UPDATE: Juneau’s Thane Road reopens as natural avalanche risk has ‘lessened’
Published 1:57 pm Wednesday, March 25, 2026
UPDATE, Wednesday, March 25 at 5 p.m.
Thane Road has reopened.
The Alaska Department of Transportation provided the latest update at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 25, noting that with the decrease in wind speeds, the potential for natural avalanches had lessened.
However, the Department of Transportation is reminding all motorists to not stop or park within the designated avalanche area.
The Alaska Department of Transportation will be conducting avalanche hazard reduction about Thane Road in the coming days as conditions allow, according to a Facebook post Wednesday.
“We will give as much advance notice as possible. We understand these closures are inconvenient, but they are for the safety of the roadway and traveling public.”
Original story
Thane Road in Juneau remains closed at the avalanche gates, until at least 8 p.m. when the Alaska Department of Transportation re-evaluates the situation.
A Facebook post from the department on Wednesday, March 25, says eight natural avalanches were observed on Tuesday, between Thane and Mt. Juneau. In an avalanche at 11:40 a.m. on Tuesday, the powder cloud reached tidewater, but debris didn’t reach the roadway.
The increased avalanche hazard follows a historic winter for Juneau, with a record 201.2 inches of snowfall recorded at the airport.
The Department of Transportation is urging all residents and travelers to respect the closure and not enter the avalanche zone or bypass the barricades.
Ridgetop winds have been averaging 50 mph, with some gusts recorded up to 95 mph.
“These extreme winds are rapidly transporting snow into slide paths increasing the likelihood of natural avalanches,” the post says.
“Historically, some of the destructive avalanches in this area have occurred several days into a major wind event, similar to the conditions we are currently experiencing.”
Capital City Fire Rescue posted to Facebook Tuesday, when the avalanche gates first closed, that due to the closure, it means that emergency response access beyond the closure is limited, response times may be impacted in the Thane area and crews will respond as conditions allow and when it is safe to do so.
The fire department urged people to not attempt to bypass the closure as the current conditions present a serious risk to the public and emergency responders.
