Scientists confirm Mendenhall Glacier is no longer in contact with Mendenhall Lake, marking a new phase in its long retreat. The shift may slow near‑term ice loss but could alter tourism and views from the visitor center.

Bright aurora borealis displays lit up the sky over Juneau, Alaska, on Nov. 12, 2025, following a series of solar flares. Residents gathered at dark locations near Mendenhall Glacier and Lake to watch the northern lights.

“It almost looks like a tornado came through, because the wind was just ripping the trees down and across things. So there’s one house that was completely obliterated. Several, several trees. We can’t even get to it to see how many… landed on it,” said resident Tyler Magart.

Heavy rain and strong winds in Southeast Alaska are triggering flooding and small landslides, with Juneau, Ketchikan, and Wrangell on alert. Officials warn of saturated soils, rising streams, and increased landslide risk; a Ketchikan road briefly closed but has reopened.

Waters off Sitka were warm enough to lure fish from the south, and local anglers took advantage of conditions to harvest species that make rare appearances in Alaska.

The National Weather Service issued a flood warning Monday morning, saying that water gauges indicate the Suicide Basin had started to release into Mendenhall Lake.

The man’s travel companions lost sight of him after he fell into a stream and was swept into a vertical opening in the ice, Alaska State Troopers said.

The flood reached a record-breaking crest of 16.65 feet at about 8 a.m. Wednesday. Water continues to seep into Valley neighborhoods.

A young male humpback whale calf was discovered dead drifting near Sandy Beach in Gastineau Channel and towed by U.S. Coast Guard and NOAA officials to undergo a necropsy.

The Taku River near Juneau is rising rapidly due to a glacier lake outburst flood, approaching minor flood thresholds within the next 24–36 hours.

It was a sunny afternoon until the sky abruptly darkened, heavy rain came down and winds gusted up to 60 mph. A cruise ship docked downtown broke free of its mooring and drifted into the Gastineau Channel at the height of the storm.

An unusual sighting of Risso's dolphins near Benjamin Island.

On Sunday afternoon, a family on the Byron Glacier Trail in Portage Valley, Alaska captured footage of a large wet springtime avalanche that sent debris down into the valley floor. No one was injured.

The U.S. Forest Service has warned Juneau residents to avoid the Mendenhall Glacier due to a large crack that could lead to significant calving, posing risks to those recreating on the frozen lake.

Juneau faced a severe snowstorm, prompting the closure of city facilities and a switch to remote learning for schools on Monday. Authorities advised residents to avoid travel due to dangerous road conditions.

A search is underway for five individuals missing after their fishing boat capsized in the wintry seas near Point Couverden, Alaska. The Coast Guard, supported by others, is leading the search efforts following a mayday call.

A brown bear and one of her two cubs were shot and killed by a Sitka resident early Thursday after the animals entered into a storage building in the 4200 block of Halibut Point Road, in the vicinity of the Sitka Sound Cruise Terminal, and were trying to get into freezers.

The National Weather Service has canceled a flood warning issued Saturday as waters continue to recede Monday morning.

Minor flood stage will begin Monday morning, with flood water expected to crest sometime early Tuesday.

A landslide in Juneau, Alaska, prompted the evacuation of an apartment building, with no injuries reported but further slides expected due to heavy rain.