New Year’s Eve arrives in Juneau along with record breaking snow for the month of December. The deepening blanket of snow has triggered safety warnings and closures across the borough.
December 2025 is the snowiest December ever recorded in Juneau, according to the National Weather Service Juneau. As of Wednesday morning, Juneau International Airport recorded 79.8 inches of snow. The previous December snowfall record, set in 1964, was 54.7 inches.
That measurement makes December 2025 the second-snowiest month Juneau has ever recorded. The current record holder is February 1965, which logged 86.3 inches, just 6.5 inches more than Wednesday morning’s total.
Much of this month’s snow fell in just a few days. Since late Friday night, the National Weather Service has measured 40.6 inches of snow at its office in the Mendenhall Valley.
The storm has wreaked havoc across town, from avalanche warnings to hazardous roads to boats sinking under the weight of the snow.
“It’s all the usual things that get checked off when we have big snow events — that happened, check, that happened, checked, and that happened, checked — and they’re just all happening in a four-day period,” said Grant Smith, NWS Juneau meteorologist.
Snowfall is expected to taper off throughout the day Wednesday, before potentially picking back up late this week.
Thane under avalanche warning
The City and Borough of Juneau has issued an avalanche advisory for areas above Behrends Avenue and Thane Road. Avalanche risk is high, and conditions could change quickly
The advisory is not an evacuation notice, but officials urge residents to stay alert.
“Conditions can change rapidly and with little warning,” the alert said.
The city recommended several preparedness steps, including keeping a go-bag ready, ensuring phones are charged with emergency alerts enabled, and being prepared to evacuate quickly if conditions escalate.
According to the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, Thane Road will be closed at the avalanche gates beginning at 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 30.
Residents can monitor avalanche updates on CBJ’s emergency advisory page.
Airport runway closed Tuesday night
Heavy snowfall also forced the temporary closure of the Juneau International Airport runway Tuesday evening. The runway reopened at about 3 a.m. Wednesday.
Airport Manager Andrés Delgado Márquez said in a social media post that crews had been clearing snow nonstop since Saturday. The prolonged effort, he said, led to mechanical wear on equipment and the need for maintenance.
“JNU is ready for normal operations again but I highly recommend checking with your airline for flight schedules and reservations,” Márquez said.
Boats sinking under heavy snow loads
Harbor officials warned that repeated layers of freezing rain followed by snow have produced exceptionally dense, water-laden snow loads on boats.
“This is not light snowfall — it is compacted, water-laden snow that is weighing boats down rapidly,” Juneau Docks and Harbors wrote in a social media post Tuesday morning.
Staff have already responded to multiple sinking vessels. Harbor officials urged boat owners to check on their vessels as soon as it is safe to do so, clear snow, and ensure pumps are functioning properly.
“This is not a normal storm,” officials said. “The amount of snow we’re dealing with is something that comes around only once every few decades.”
City facilities closed, road crews stretched thin
CBJ said it has been plowing through the night, contracting with private companies to lighten the workload as they focus on the highest-priority roads.
City facilities remained closed on New Year’s Eve, CBJ announced, marking the fourth consecutive day of closures due to hazardous road conditions.
Several downtown businesses also closed early Tuesday or shut their doors entirely as snowfall continued.
The Juneau Police Department said some administrative services would not be available during the closure, but officers have continued patrolling and dispatchers remained on duty.
Bartlett Regional Hospital canceled non-emergency appointments for several days during the storm before returning to normal operations on Wednesday.
More snow possible next week
Although snowfall is expected to dwindle starting Wednesday, the break may be short-lived.
Smith said the NWS is watching another storm system that could arrive late this weekend or early next week driven by an atmospheric river, a stream of moisture which is set to arrive in Southeast Alaska while cold air remains.
Beyond travel and infrastructure concerns, meteorologists and emergency officials urge residents to take care of their physical health as they’re managing snow.
Smith said hospitals often staff additional nurses after major snow events due to a rise in heart-related emergencies.
“We tell people to drink water when it’s 75 and 80 degrees and sunny,” Smith said. “Well, same thing when you’re working with snow in the cold: Take those breaks, drink that water, take care of yourself while you’re taking care of your property.”
A car engulfed in snow has only it’s side mirrors exposed Dec. 31, 2025. (Mari Kanagy / Juneau Empire)
A skid steer engulfed adds to a berm of snow on Dec. 31, 2025. (Mari Kanagy / Juneau Empire)
