A Haines resident shovels a car out from under the snow. (Photo by Henry Leasia)
Snowstorms rocked the Upper Lynn Canal this weekend, causing closed roads, grounded flights, and a near total shutdown of the Haines borough on Monday. The Haines border customs co-op reported 40 inches of snow over the weekend—the second deepest snowfall over a two-day period since they began reporting.
Haines residents have had a hard time keeping up. Candice Haagensen said she had to call in some extra help to get snow off of her flat roof.
“There was about 5 feet of snow that was not going anywhere. I knew this warm and wet weather was coming and that was going to increase the poundage by lots,” Haagensen said.
On Sunday the temperature at the Haines airport jumped from 13 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit in just a few hours. All of the fluffy powder that collected around town started to turn wet and dense.
As temperatures rose, angled roofs and trees started shedding large amounts of snow. Haagensen said she heard several tree avalanches last night.
“There was one that was so loud last night that I thought a tree fell down. My dogs and I jumped like three feet off the bed,” Haagensen said.
Despite the challenges that come with winter weather, some residents like David Simmons are welcoming the heavy snowfall.
“I’ve loved it to be honest,” Simmons said. “It’s a lot of work, but when you can ski right out of your backyard it’s pretty sweet.”
The Haines Borough Police Department declared a public safety emergency on Sunday that lasted through Monday night. They asked residents to stay home.
The Public Works Department in Haines is working overtime under emergency guidelines. Staff are plowing main arteries and emergency access routes first, then secondary streets before they start sanding. A contractor is clearing snow and storing it at the fairgrounds to increase visibility downtown. Public Facilities director Ed Coffland says workers plan to be out tomorrow and Wednesday morning as well.
“They’re working I think about 12 hours a day. We don’t want to push our guys too much because that’s when we start getting accidents,” Coffland said. “But on the other hand, we got to keep up with the snow. So we’re just trying to balance that.”
According to the National Weather Service in Juneau, there is more snow to come. Forecasters issued a second weather warning for hazardous conditions Tuesday evening through Wednesday afternoon. They anticipate up to two feet of snow overnight and 50 mph gusts on the canal on Wednesday.
