JUNEAU ALASKA
Worst Winter Storm to Hit Juneau, Alaska
December 2025
Alaska sees incredible amounts of snow each year. However, the winter of 2025 buried the city under nearly seven feet of it in a single month.
We had just visited the city a few months earlier when it was full of activity. However, snow comes quickly in Juneau, Alaska.
- Earliest Recorded First Snow: September 26 (in 1908)
- Latest Recorded First Snow: December 14
- Typical Snow Season: Snow usually arrives between October and November and lasts through March or April, with May through September being generally snow-free at sea level.
The combination of persistent moisture from an atmospheric river and extremely cold air helped fuel the late-month snowfall, showing that these moisture-rich systems can produce tremendous snow—not just heavy rain—when temperatures cooperate.
The impacts were serious. Roof collapses, boats sinking, avalanche concerns and flight disruptions turned a spectacular snowfall into a major challenge. Juneau’s 2025–26 winter ultimately became the snowiest in its recorded history.
The SUMMER side of Juneau.
Visit during the warmer months, and you’ll find a completely different destination: lush temperate rainforest, glaciers, whale-watching excursions and dramatic mountain scenery. I’d put Mendenhall Glacier, a whale-watching trip in the surrounding waters and a ride on the Mount Roberts Tramway high on my summer itinerary.
That contrast is what makes Juneau so fascinating. The same mountains and coastal environment that help create extraordinary winter weather also produce some of Alaska’s most spectacular summer scenery.
View some of the excursions we took in Alaska during our stay.
