The City and Borough of Juneau issued an avalanche alert via text Monday afternoon, telling residents in the Mount Juneau slide path to be prepared.
It’s the second avalanche alert issued in the last week, as record-breaking snow blankets the community and the mountains above it.
Ryan O’Shaughnessy, Juneau’s emergency programs manager, said the alert is not an evacuation advisory.
“It’s reminding folks to be prepared to evacuate, and that conditions can change rapidly,” he said.
He said that the historic 4-foot snowpack appeared to stabilize over the weekend. But on Monday the avalanche risk rose again due to a change in the weather.
“With new snowfall today, warming temperatures and high winds in the forecast, avalanche danger is increasing,” he said.
The alert covers residents in the Behrends and White neighborhoods, as well as Thane Road. The road remains open, but drivers are reminded not to stop in the avalanche zone.
In the event of an avalanche evacuation, O’Shaugnessy said Centennial Hall will be the emergency shelter and the American Red Cross has resources staged there now. He also said the Alaska Department of Transportation is prepared to clear evacuation routes.
He said the avalanches that DOT triggered above Thane Road on Gastineau Ridge last week weren’t very large, and that tells him two things: the snowpack is a bit more stubborn than anticipated, and there is still a lot of snow up there.
