This season has delivered for fans of winter weather, and more snow and cold is on tap for Juneau this week.<\/p>\n
According to Cody Moore, meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Juneau, a weak front setting up over the panhandle coupled with a cold system over northwest Canada is creating the perfect setup for a stream of moisture fueled by the Gulf of Alaska to fall on the City and Borough of Juneau.<\/p>\n
Falling temperatures Monday and Tuesday mean the capital city will likely see snow rather than rain at least for the first portion of the event.<\/p>\n
Moore said the storm could drop 4 to 8 inches of snow on the area Tuesday night into Wednesday, before heavy rain and warming temperatures return later in the week.<\/p>\n
“Tuesday will start mainly dry,” Moore said, adding that temperatures that started dropping Monday will continue to fall Tuesday. He said to expect temperatures in the mid-20s when the snow begins to fall.<\/p>\n
“The snow will start Tuesday night and continue on Wednesday with the heaviest Tuesday night through Wednesday morning before it tapers off, then turns to rain,” he said.<\/p>\n
Moore said meteorologists at the Juneau weather station are still refining the forecast and don’t know for sure when the change over from snow to rain will happen.<\/p>\n
[Much of Alaska is a childcare desert]<\/a><\/ins><\/p>\n “It could become an icy mess,” Moore said.<\/p>\n Moore said that the snow that will fall is likely to be wet, heavy and difficult to move.<\/p>\n “Take care of it sooner than later,” Moore advised for those who need to shovel driveways, decks and walks. “Travel will be difficult Wednesday morning.”<\/p>\n Wet January<\/strong><\/p>\n This storm follows an exceptionally wet January that included back-to-back snowstorms followed by a warming that delivered rain and created icy <\/a>roads<\/a>–closing<\/a> schools<\/a>, businesses and offices.<\/p>\n “It’s not official yet, but we’ve had one of the wettest January’s on record,” Moore told the Empire in a Monday afternoon phone interview.<\/p>\n Moore explained that meteorologists determine the liquid precipitation measure by melting the snow to see how much liquid it holds.<\/p>\n According to Moore, 81.6 inches of snow has fallen at the Juneau International Airport as of mid-day Monday.<\/p>\n “That’s our average snowfall for the season,” Moore said, adding that if the winter season ended today, this would be the city’s 13th snowiest season since officials started keeping records in the 1940s.<\/p>\n