‘A lot of people have gotten a lot of snow’
Published 10:30 pm Friday, December 31, 2021
This is a developing story and may be updated as more information is available.
Juneau kicked off 2022 with about a foot of snow, according to the National Weather Service.
Greg Spann, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Juneau, said Saturday morning that about 13 1/2 inches of snow fell in West Juneau while the National Weather Service office recorded just under 12 inches. He noted that in some parts of town snow was still falling shortly before 9 a.m.
“It has been very, very incredible for Juneau,” Spann said.
However, Juneau wasn’t the only part of Southeast Alaska to see significant snowfall.
Spann said more than 18 inches fell in Yakutat and over 15 inches of snow were reported for Haines and Petersburg.
“A lot of people have gotten a lot of snow, and Juneau is no exception,” Spann said.
More could be on the way, too.
Spann said snow showers were expected on New Year’s Day. While he said the significance of the showers can be difficult to predict as much as 2-4 inches of snow were possible.
The snowfall will be followed by “really chilly” weather. Temperatures are expected to plunge below zero, and a high wind warning will be in effect from Saturday night through Monday, Spann said.
“We’re going to have a mountain wave event with some very windy conditions,” Spann said.
The National Weather Service forecast for Juneau and northern Admiralty Island lists lows of 1-11 degrees on Sunday night and highs of 6-16 degrees on Monday. The forecast shows single-digit highs stretching into next week.
Not quite a record
Despite the late push, Juneau did not set a snowfall record for December 2021, Spann said.
He said an exact total is still being calculated, but it will fall below the 54.7 inches recorded in 1964.
“We’re in the upper echelon, but we’re not in the top five,” Spann said.
• Contact Ben Hohenstatt at (907)308-4895 or bhohenstatt@juneauempire.com. Follow him on Twitter at @BenHohenstatt.
