Campus Alert Archive
UAS

Snowiest December on Record Spills into January: UAS Juneau Goes Remote as 13 Inches of Snow Buries the Capital

AKwinter stormadvisorymedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

On January 5, 2026, the University of Alaska Southeast operated its Juneau campus remotely with all campus buildings closed during the first major winter storm of the spring semester. Downtown Juneau recorded 11-12 inches of snow by 2 PM Monday with another 4-10 inches forecast through Tuesday. The closure followed the snowiest December on record for Juneau, and UAS Rec Center closures extended through January 9-11 as a follow-on storm passed through.

Alerts
3
Response
—
Killed
—
Injured
—
Institution
University of Alaska Southeast
Public Masters · AK
~2,200 studentsUA Alert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

3 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTEmail
Approximate reconstructionReconstructed from UAS Alerts page and KTOO / Juneau Empire / Juneau Independent reporting417 chars
UAS ALERT: Due to the ongoing winter storm warning for Juneau, the University of Alaska Southeast Juneau campus will operate remotely today, Monday, January 5, 2026. All campus buildings will be closed. Essential employees should follow standard inclement-weather protocols. Faculty are asked to deliver instruction via UA Online or to reschedule. Continue to monitor UA Alert and the UAS website for further updates.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Issued by 6:30 AM AKST on Monday, January 5, 2026 per UAS weather-decision protocol that requires notification before 6:30 AM
Juneau uses Alaska Standard Time (UTC-9) in winter, switching to Alaska Daylight Time (UTC-8) in March
The campus was supposed to reopen Monday after winter break but was preempted by the storm; this was the first instructional day of the spring 2026 semester
UPDATEEmail
Approximate reconstructionReconstructed from Juneau Independent reporting on accumulations and parallel closures423 chars
UAS ALERT UPDATE: The University of Alaska Southeast Juneau campus will continue to operate remotely on Tuesday, January 6, 2026 with all campus buildings closed. Snowfall in downtown Juneau has reached 11-12 inches with an additional 4-10 inches forecast. The City and Borough of Juneau and the Juneau School District remain closed. Avalanche advisories are in effect for the surrounding terrain. Use caution if traveling.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Issued evening of January 5, 2026 AKST as accumulating snow forced a continued remote day
Downtown Juneau accumulations of 11-12 inches by 2 PM were measured by the National Weather Service
Juneau's December 2025 was the snowiest December on record and second snowiest month overall, leaving very high antecedent snowpack heading into January
FOLLOW-UPWebsite
Approximate reconstructionReconstructed from UAS Juneau REC Center operating hours/closures page327 chars
UAS FACILITIES UPDATE: The UAS Recreation Center will be closed January 9-11 due to UAS Remote / Winter Conditions related to the latest storm system. Other UAS Juneau campus operations are expected to resume on a normal schedule once weather permits. Continue to monitor UA Alert and uas.alaska.edu/alerts for further updates.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Issued Friday, January 9, 2026 AKST as a second winter storm approached the panhandle
REC Center closure documentation is unusual in that it sequentially logged both the January 5-6 closure and the follow-on January 9-11 closure as separate UAS Remote / Winter Conditions events
Avalanche risk on terrain surrounding the Auke Lake campus is a recurring secondary hazard during heavy snow events
Context

Background

The University of Alaska Southeast is the smallest campus in the University of Alaska system, with its main campus on Auke Lake outside Juneau and additional sites in Sitka and Ketchikan. The 2025-2026 winter brought historic snowfall to the panhandle: December 2025 was Juneau's snowiest December on record and the second snowiest month ever measured. On Sunday, January 4, 2026, a winter storm warning was issued for up to 13 inches of additional snow on top of an already-record snowpack. UAS announced it would operate the Juneau campus remotely on Monday, January 5 — what should have been the first instructional day of the spring semester — and continued remote operations through Tuesday, January 6 as accumulations reached 11-12 inches in downtown Juneau. A follow-on storm system led to a second closure of the UAS Recreation Center January 9-11. The Juneau School District and City and Borough of Juneau facilities also closed on parallel timelines. The pattern of an Alaska panhandle institution losing the first week of a semester to snow is uncommon — Juneau's maritime climate normally produces rain rather than snow, but the 2025-2026 winter delivered an unusual cold-and-wet combination.
Analysis

Key Findings

UAS was preempted from opening for the spring semester by the same storm cycle that produced Juneau's snowiest December on record
The university's documented closure sequencing — two consecutive remote days, then a partial follow-on closure for a second storm system — illustrates how Alaska institutions phase weather responses
UAS uses both campus-level alerts and facility-level updates (e.g., REC Center hours) to provide layered information during extended winter weather
Outcome
The Juneau campus operated remotely with all buildings closed January 5-6, 2026. The UAS Recreation Center subsequently closed again January 9-11 as another winter storm produced additional snow. No injuries were reported. Juneau School District and City and Borough of Juneau also closed facilities on the same dates.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Official
    University of Alaska Southeast Alerts & Updates
    uas.alaska.edu
  2. News
    School closed as another winter storm brings snow, potential rain mixture to Juneau (KTOO)
    ktoo.org
  3. News
    City and state offices, public schools closed Monday as updated storm warning calls for up to 13 inches (Juneau Independent)
    juneauindependent.com
  4. News
    Schools and city facilities are closed amid another winter storm (Juneau Empire)
    juneauempire.com
  5. Official
    REC Center Operating Hours and Closures (UAS Juneau)
    uas.alaska.edu
Tags
winter-stormalaskajuneauremote-operationssnowstormpanhandlefirst-week-of-semesteravalanche-advisory
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion