Weather

Wind gusts as strong as 90 mph slammed downtown Juneau and Douglas on Monday. Recent overnight temperatures have been in the teens.

The Alaska Department of Transportation closed Thane Road shortly after 10 a.m. after an avalanche crossed the road. The agency has not said when it plans to reopen the road.

The ice road on the frozen Kuskokwim River is longer than most traditional highways in Alaska. It allows for snowmachine and vehicle traffic in a region that otherwise relies on unpredictable airplane travel in the winter.

Significant rain and snow, warmer temperatures and high winds are contributing to risk of avalanches off Mount Juneau and Mount Roberts.

“So, that’s how we got lost. Cause we were trying to catch a fox to show my mom and my dad,” he said.

“I see the boat penciled — straight up and down in the air. The bow was straight up in the air, and then it sinks. My heart drops. I tried to do everything I could to get those guys out.”

All four children were bundled together. They had dug a hole in the snow, about a foot deep and three feet in diameter.

The National Weather Service says up to 8 inches of snow are expected throughout the day, with an additional 2-4 inches expected overnight.

Engine trouble on the Alaska ferry Matanuska has stranded travelers in the Upper Lynn Canal. A basketball team from Skagway has been on the road for more than two weeks.

The state is taking an unusual measure to transport travelers stranded in Juneau.