A blizzard dumping inches of snow every hour in Juneau has closed the State of Alaska office buildings in the Capital City. Schools are closed for the day after lunch, according to the Juneau School District, which posted a note that says, “Due to increasing winds and blowing snow in much of the Juneau area, the district will be closing early.” Elementary schools will let out at 1 pm, middle schools at 1:30 pm, and high schools will release students at 2:15 pm.
The City and Borough of Juneau has also closed its offices for the day, including those in Douglas.
Due to high winds and low visibility, CBJ Downtown and Douglas offices and facilities will close at 11:00 a.m. today, Monday, November 20.
Affected facilities include City Hall, the Downtown Juneau Public Library, Juneau-Douglas City Museum, Treadwell Arena, the Permit Center, and Zach Gordon Youth Center.
Capital Transit is running on winter routes, with service suspended on Cordova Street, Franklin and Fourth Street downtown. For more information, visit juneaucapitaltransit.org.
It’s the first big major weather event of the winter season for Juneau, which could get up to 15 inches of snow today.
In addition to heavy snow and wind causing difficult travel, there’s an avalanche alert for the slide-prone Thane Road, issued by the Alaska Department of Transportation: :Strong winds combined with heavy snowfall at higher elevations will significantly increase the avalanche hazard above Thane Road the next few days.” The road may be closed on and off as the department tries to mitigate any avalanches.
