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.

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.

Smoke from Canadian wildfires is drifting into Southeast Alaska’s Chilkat Valley, prompting an air quality advisory for Haines and Skagway as hazy conditions persist.

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.

Tom McGuire, a 79-year-old Haines author and backcountry adventurer, fell through the ice while skating alone on Chilkoot Lake, triggering an extensive search by local volunteers and state officials.

Residents along the Lynn Canal experienced a jolting event on Monday afternoon that was later confirmed to be a magnitude 3 earthquake, which initially went undetected by seismic systems due to its location on the edge of the network.

Over the past few months, several headless seals have washed ashore along Chilkat Valley, prompting local marine expert Tim Ackerman to suggest that killer whale predation may be involved, although a bullet-hole found on one seal hints at potential human involvement.

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 mass die-off of egg-laying hens due to avian flu has caused an egg shortage in Haines, Alaska, affecting local grocers and causing a surge in egg prices.

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.