Southeast Alaska will see more snow this weekend. Stormy weather across the Lower 48 has already disrupted holiday travel plans of many who are trying to fly from Juneau.
Alaska Airlines has preemptively cancelled more than 270 flights on Thursday night, and all Alaska and Horizon flights from and to Seattle were canceled by Friday at 1 p.m. They will be cancelled for Portland until at least 6 pm.
All three runways were closed due to icy rain in Seattle, leading to cancellations. According to a spokesperson from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, it was an “unprecedented” situation.
One runway was reopened at 7:07 a.m. Alaska Airlines stated that they expect additional cancellations or delays.
High winds forced the cancellation of additional Friday flights from Ted Stevens Anchorage International airport .
Alaska Airlines stated in a written statement that they will provide flexible travel policies for passengers who wish to rebook travel to Seattle, Portland, or from Seattle. They cautioned, however, that service may be delayed due to high demand.
The airline encourages travelers to review their holiday plans.
High winds and snowfall in Juneau began Friday morning. Aaron Jacobs, National Weather Service meteorologist, says heavy snow will likely increase throughout the holiday weekend.
He said that heavy snow would likely develop overnight and continue to fall through Friday. “We’ll have a bit of a lull tomorrow morning [Saturday], with another band coming through to dump another significant amount of snow tomorrow afternoon span>
The National Weather Service has issued an advisory for a winter storm, which runs from 9 a.m. Friday to 9 p.m. Saturday. Snow accumulations between 10 and 15 inches are possible. Downtown Juneau is susceptible to wind gusts up to 60 mph.
Although snowfall is expected to be light on Friday, drivers need to be aware of dangerous road conditions, low visibility, and the possibility of blowing snow into the evening.
This snowfall comes after a cold snap in the Southeast. Expect temperatures to rise steadily over the weekend and into next weeks. Temperatures in Juneau will remain below freezing through the week. There is a possibility of snowfall on Sunday.
Jacobs suggests it might be wetter in Juneau.
“Potentially, for the people down in the southern panahandle,” he stated.
Although the impact of weather conditions on flights plans for the remainder of the weekend is still unknown, freezing rain can be more dangerous than snow for air travel.
This is still a developing story. Keep checking back for more updates.
