News at 6 - March 4, 2026

Now at 6. It's a first alert weather day for Juneau, who's seen a steady snow all week long. We're only on the fourth day of March. And this area has already seen about a foot and a half of snow. We've got our will, Courtney, out there in Juneau, experiencing all of this firsthand. We're going to check in with him in a little bit. Yeah, but the continued pattern has made the possibility of avalanches very real. Yes, and this morning, Thane Road reopened at the avalanche Bill Gates as plows tried to make things manageable. Chief meteorologist Melissa Frye here now tracking what you need to know to stay safe this week. Yeah, it is a lot of snow. We're talking more than 40 inches again just in the past nine days. That's on top of, of course, just a season of heavy snow. I want to show you those latest conditions on this first alert weather day. That avalanche danger is rising as more snow is likely through the night into tomorrow morning. But importantly, we are going to see some warm air pushing in with a second storm system that's not only bringing warmer air, but likely rain. to the region. That is going to arrive tomorrow afternoon with heavy rain likely continuing into Friday. Here are the numbers. 153.7 inches of snow. That was as of about noon today, officially putting Juneau in eighth place for the most snow that we have ever seen. Most snow since 2008. So it is a lot on the ground. It is still coming down. Overnight tonight, I actually expected to intensify into early tomorrow morning. Right when that morning commute picks up, we will see heavy snow likely. in Juneau spreading north and south as well. But as showers continue in the afternoon, temperatures will warm. And so I do expect a transition to rain, especially as we head into Friday. We will likely see some heavy rain into Friday afternoon, continuing into early Saturdays. So again, quick changing conditions with this next surge of moisture pushing in from the south. Right now, temperatures, they have warm fast already. Juneau sitting at 30 degrees with those winds out of the east at 13 miles per hour. And you can see some new snow there on Egan Drive tonight. Now, the sun has just set in Juneau, and we want to check in with Will Courtney live there now. Will, this is nothing new for Juneau, but it is a lot of snow and potentially dangerous. How are the conditions now? Yeah, Melissa, the snow is definitely pretty high where I'm at. This is not what it looks like in the rest of Juneau, for sure. It goes up to my shin. I'm right by the whale statue for reference. But what lawmakers, what the city is looking at right now is these two mountains right behind me and whether they're going to form an avalanche. There is an elevated avalanche risk. Here's a look at what the city has looked like throughout most of the day. The city and borough are recommending five different steps for residents to kind of take as they're going through their evening. and into the next couple days, especially as conditions start to change. The first thing, Sign up for the emergency alerts through the CBJ. That's the city and borough of Juneau. They'll tell you what's happening as it's happening. We'll also make sure to update you here. I'll ask this news source for the latest as well. Know your risk. Very important. Know where you're at. Know if there's any risk on where you are at. And then the other two things, it's know when to get out and know what to bring with you as well. So that includes stuff like food, medicine, water, clothes, blankets, you name it. If you need it, make sure you have it. There is an elevated risk.

the set stage of where we are at in these avalanche preparedness conditions. John, Augusta. All right, Will, thanks so much. Important information there. And you're now taking a live look from Palmer, where a Matsu school board meeting is getting underway at the district administration building there. Expected topics to be discussed tonight include the proposal to close Larson Elementary, Meadow Lakes, and Glacier View schools for budget purposes. They'll also be discussing that ongoing bus driver strike due to a contract dispute and discussions over eliminating nursing positions. out there and has a lot to talk about tonight on the late edition. Yeah, packed house there. And now Governor Mike Dunleavy, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Alaska Attorney General all met in Fairbanks today to get a first-hand look at difficulties that Alaskans faced in our area during winter. Alex Bangal, he sat in on the press conference at UAF's campus today. Alex joins us now with what was discussed, Alex. Behind me, the UAF power plant runs on coal. One of the resources EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin supports developing in Alaska. The administrator met with Governor Mike Dunleavy here at this facility today to talk about the future of Alaska. Lee Zeldin touts Alaska as the... Gateway to energy dominance and has also supported the development of oil, gas, and critical minerals. Lee Zeldin says the EPA needs to look at which regulations are working for Alaska and are needed here versus those, he says, don't really mesh with the cold temperatures. Lee Zeldin also talked about cooperative federalism in which the EPA takes its regulatory lead from state officials. We want to continue that partnership. We want to continue to strengthen that partnership. As it relates to PM2.5, that is the reason why Senator Dan Sullivan and Senator Lisa Murkowski asked me to come to Fairbanks in the winter. Because they saw the last administration put new regulations on PM2.5. They saw how that impacts the ability for this area to be in attainment. And what the consequences are for this area. if they are unable to reach a team. Lee Zeldin arrived in Fairbanks yesterday and has been spending the last day or so talking to officials and locals about the unique climate in the interior. As for the governor's visit to Fairbanks, Mike Dunleavy spoke with the Greater Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce yesterday about potential consequences of the conflict in Iran on oil prices and the possibility of an LNG pipeline running north to south across the state of Alaska. Alex Bangle, Alaska's News Source. Alex and Fairbanks, thank you very much. In D.C. today, Senate Republicans voted down an effort to pass a war powers resolution to halt President Donald Trump's conflict in Iran. The resolution failed largely along party lines in a 47-53 vote. In part, it demanded congressional approval before any further attacks are carried out in Iran. Democrats in the Senate expressed concerns about the legality of these attacks.

Under the blue bird sky. Beautiful. It's so beautiful. It's a palady at Eliasca. I'm so excited. I still got a smile on my face from those runs. As these service members, veterans alongside their family take on the slopes. I'm out here just enjoying this beautiful Alaskan day out here for Military Monday. Leaving a dusting of snow behind during March's Military Monday, an over a decade-long tradition where those who served and their family get to ride the slopes for free. It allows these service members who may be experiencing snow for their first time to really get. up close and personal with what we do here. On Monday, the resort says it was on track to welcome 1,000 attendees. It makes me feel like this has been a mission success. Giving them a taste of the magic of Elievska, while breaking down the potential financial barriers of the sport. Just happening, honestly, the free tickets. Yeah, that's the best part. And then being out here with my brothers and sisters for sure. At the same time, the resort says the event promotes health, encouraging people to get outside and explore their home. Especially the winter, you know, it's easy just to stay inside and stay warm. So opportunities like this kind of force us to get out and get a little vitamin D and enjoy the weather. Enjoy what all that Alaska has to offer. A play date in the snow. You get like a high. Off it's running down the mountain. It's tough. That's one for the books. Georgianne Fernandez, Alaska's news source. Such a well-deserved break for our local heroes there. The next and final military Monday for the year is on April 6th. Thanks for listening. Click subscribe so you can get the latest podcast from Alaska's News Source automatically. And stay up to date with breaking news and in-depth reporting available for free 24-7 with the Alaska's News Source app.