Updated | 6:36 a.m. Thursday
The National Weather Service has upgraded the alert to a winter storm warning. It is in effect from 3 p.m. today to 9 a.m. Friday.
Original story | 8:28 a.m. Wednesday
The watch is in effect beginning Thursday morning until Thursday night, and it includes areas such as Petersburg and Wrangell.
Rick Fritsch, a lead forecaster, said the Juneau area can expect a total 5 to 6 inches of snow overnight Thursday.
“Snow starting on Thursday morning,” Fritsch said. “And if the rain-snow line stays to the west of Juneau, which is what the winter storm watch is predicated on, the heaviest snow is going to happen in the evening or overnight hours Thursday night going into Friday.”
Fritsch says 24-hour totals — from Thursday morning to Friday morning — may be 6 to 9 inches.
“This is most likely to be a very wet, very heavy snow like we had the previous week,” Fritsch said. “Even 4 inches is going to become very difficult to manage in terms of snowthrowers, and shoveling, and plows, and things like that.”
Fritsch encourages residents to open up their storm drains by their streets, before plows come by and pack the snow down.
“If it starts with an open grate it’s a lot easier to open that grate back up,” Fritsch said. “And when this stuff finally does begin to melt it drains down the drain rather than ponding and puddling all over people’s drive ways and sidewalks.”
Fritsch says the National Weather Service is expecting a lot less snow for Gustavus and Hoonah. He expects a 24-hour total of 1 to 3 inches of snow.
