Juneau, Alaska (KINY) – The Northern Panhandle can expect heavy snow this weekend. A winter weather advisory for Juneau issued Friday has been upgraded to a winter storm warning on Saturday morning. NWSJ issued updates with a winter storm warning for the central Panhandle and advisories in the north including Yakutat. The storm impacts Gustavus and Hoonah, which have seen about 6 to 7 inches as of Saturday morning. Skagway, Haines, Pelican, and Yakutat are also experiencing snowfall.
National Weather Service Juneau measured 5.8 inches of snow at 9 a.m. Saturday at its Juneau office, with an impressive, and fluffy, 48:1 snow-to-water ratio. 9 to 12 inches is expected through Saturday with more snow expected Sunday and Monday. The warning is set to expire early Monday morning but there’s a possibility it could be extended.
Meteorologist Edward Liske said the event is expected to bring heavier snow as it progresses.
“Our temperatures are going to be gradually warming up through the weekend here, so we’ll probably be approaching the freezing mark by Sunday for temperatures,” he said. “By that point, we’ll be starting to see some heavier and wetter snow possibly. We’ll probably still see some snow Sunday possibly even into Monday.”