As first reported during our afternoon updates on the rainstorm’s aftermath, a slide has closed Beach Drive in the 6000-6200 block (map). The video above is our :30 survey of the scene, while checking it out just before sunset. The mud brought debris onto the northbound lane and took out a tree that, as the video shows, snagged utility wires on the water side of the street. Here’s a static view of what slid:
This is immediately north of the spot where a similar slide closed the road this past January. SDOTfinally sent official word of the new slide/closure within the past hour, saying it’s one of two streets in the city closed for “slope stability issues,” and that it “will remain closed overnight and will be re-assessed in morning once there is daylight.” A resident who said she lives over the slope that slid – explaining, “That’s our tree” – pointed out another spot with cascading water/mud down the slope further south, over the small retaining wall put up following the January slide:
Last year’s slide closed the road for less than a day but left it narrowed to one lane at that spot for more than a month; the city was reported to be working with upslope property owner(s) on a permanent solution, though we don’t have final word on whether that included anything beyond the roadside retaining barricade.
(4:47 PM UPDATE: Rain stopped, but effects haven’t: Slide has completely closed Beach Drive in 6200 block, immediately north of last January’s slide. However, the Allstar Fitness parking lot is open again; waters have receded. 5:46 PM – Added scenes from Seola, Westcrest, WS Golf Course flooding. Meantime, our first round of coverage, covering the previous 6+ hours, can be seen here; we’re keeping this coverage atop the home page, so other non-storm stories, even if newer, will appear BELOW it, like this one)
1:03 PM: Thanks to Jai Suh for that panorama of the Allstar Fitness parking lot (map), which, as first reported in our morning updates, is flooded and closed – though the club is still open, and nearby street parking is quite well-used. For context, here’s a different view, looking northeast, which we shot around 1 pm:
Nearby Longfellow Creek is over its banks, at least in that area. More sandbags have arrived at Delridge Community Center, the city tells us, for those who need them and know the best way to use them.
West Marginal Way Southwest (shot above is from the 6000 block – map) is swamped in spots and while it may be open, we advise avoiding it (update – a more-recent driver noted that it’s fine north of the Duwamish Longhouse, which is having a concert today, so if you’re going to that, just approach from the north). The power is BACK ON in the Admiral business district – we just drove through and verified that businesses such as Bird on a Wire 2 and Alki Bike and Board are open (we had heard earlier that businesses to the south, including Muttley Crew Cuts and Bartell Drugs, were back on too). The rain is lighter now, and The Junction – which did NOT lose power at any point – is open for another Hometown Holidays Sunday, with the Farmers’ Market till 2 pm and Santa photos at Donna Ryan Photography till 3:
West Seattle Hi-Yu Junior Court Princess Riley Frederickson is assisting today – just last week she made news for coming up with the idea that won the vote to be next year’s Hi-Yu float theme, “Sparkling Seattle.” Now that the rain is easing, do get out and support your local businesses (check our West Seattle Holiday Shopping Guide for some of the deals offered by more than 20 of them) – this is the third-to-last weekend shopping day till Christmas, already. Speaking of shopping, there are some issues with debit/credit cards at Westwood Village – there’s some kind of technical problem affecting some of the merchants; we got multiple tips on this and the situation seems to keep changing, though Target told us they are not taking debit, and credit is only $100 max per card. Meantime, we’ll continue to update this story all afternoon with the latest on the weather and its effects – we appreciate your photos and tips, too. NO events today have been canceled – to the best of our knowledge, everything on the West Seattle Holidayspage is still happening.
2:22 PM UPDATE: Thanks to Jill for word of a slide behind a building in the 1100 block of Alki SW:
Also from Alki, look closely at this photo from Todd (thank you!) – you can see the water-color difference from the storm drainage in the background:
The city confirms more than three inches of rain has fallen in the past 24 hours. In comments, the WSB Forums, and elsewhere, we are seeing many reports of flooded basements. And fromSeattle Public Utilities‘ latest news release, another big number:
The Utility has received more than 400 customer calls since midnight, and has activated its Urban Flood Response Plan – deploying extra drainage crews throughout Seattle, sending storm observers to various at-risk sections of the city, and increasing the number of emergency call-takers at its Operations Response Center.
At present, SPU is dealing with a heavy volume of calls; and its emergency response system is at full capacity.
“We are responding to emergency calls from customer as quickly as we can,” SPU Deputy Director Nick Pealy said. “We hope to work through our call backlog today, but because of the volume of calls we’ve received, it could be tomorrow before we’re able to get to everybody.”
To report flooding or blocked drains or heavy ponding in the street, please call (206) 386-1800.
Under its urban flood plan, SPU’s 16 drainage truck crews drop their normal maintenance duties and respond to field emergency calls. If the volume of calls becomes high enough – as they are today – additional crews are brought in from the SPU’s drinking water operations section and other areas of the Utilities.
3:28 PM: New problems:
Shelley shared that photo of a tree down along Beach Drive. Note the telltale blocks – it’s the same spot where a slide blocked the road for quite some time last January (here’s one of our stories). We’re also hearing about flooding in Arbor Heights, apparently near the Seola drainage pond – off to check on that.
4:47 PM UPDATE: We’ve stopped by both of the aforementioned scenes. What is usually an alley/street end leading to the Seola retention pond at 104th/30th is pretty much a small lake. Photos to come. Also, we went to the Beach Drive “tree down” spot – and discovered it’s a slide, and the road is now completely closed there (6200 block). We are on our way to see where the closure starts on the north side – since that’s just a half-mile south of the famous Menashe Christmas lights – definitely can’t approach them from the south. (slide photo added, taken around 4 pm)
The crew at the scene had no idea how long the road would be closed.
5:46 PM UPDATE: Here’s a Seola photo courtesy of Kelly (we have a shot from a different angle we’ll use in our later roundup – who points out the floating porta-potty:
Also some other West Seattle scenes – part of the flooding that closed the WS Golf Course, courtesy of Paul – here’s the fairway for the 12th hole:
And Rob sent photos from flooding at Westcrest Park:
We went back to Longfellow Creek at Allstar Fitness – it’s receded a bit, and the lot has reopened.
(Photo added 7:54 am – power out at Admiral/California intersection, businesses too, but City Light went by) 6:52 AM: If you wake up and notice your clocks are out of synch with battery-powered sources like your cell phone or watch – part of north West Seattle lost power in the early-morning hours. Roughly 3-4 am, judging by the smattering of notes we received. Some may still be out (let us know if you are) – complete information isn’t available because the city website is down, but Seattle City Light’s Twitter account reported about an hour ago that 838 West Seattle customers were still out of service at that time, and has not updated since. Meantime, might still be a good time to check on battery/charging status of key devices – it’s not only still pouring, but at least where we are, the wind has picked up in a big way.
7:12 AM UPDATE: Some confirmations in comments and via Facebook that some people are still without power in Admiral. The biggest outage, described by SCL on FB as 2,800 homes/businesses in Alki/Harbor Avenue, started at 2:20 am; at least one of those customers reported the power returning around 4. We’re heading out now to survey both power and road flooding – especially perennial deep-water trouble spots like West Marginal Way/Highland Park Way, where some problems were reported in the very early morning hours. The National Weather Service is warning of slide danger as well as urban/”small stream” flooding.
7:50 AM: First major intersection where the power’s still out: Admiral/California. Looks like the businesses on all four corners, too, as well as the stoplights. (a few minutes later) The outage is centered here JUST around the Admiral/California junction – the Lander stoplight is on (at Lafayette/Hiawatha); heading eastbound, while the west side of 42nd is out, the east side (with Metropolitan Market [WSB sponsor] and Safeway gas station is ON). Jack in the Box has NO power, same for businesses in the Linda’s/Bird/Heavenly/Alki B&B building and the CIrca/cleaners building. On the north side of the outage, no lights or signs of power are evident before the flashing yellow light at SW Walker/California SW. (a few minutes later) On the west, the outage stretches to the east side of 44th – 7-11 has NO power, Bank of America is out – but the power is on starting with the west side of 44th. Heading down to the water now to check on Alki/Harbor.
8:29 AM: Just drove Alki from Seacrest to Cactus, power’s ON, no apparent problems – though the road shows numerous signs of undone pothole repairs – the gravel/asphalt material littering the lanes, holes reopened – so be careful, even in the middle of the road away from the puddles. In addition to the Admiral/California outage, there may be other pockets – Mac just mentioned via Twitter that they’re OUT along Ferry in North Admiral. Please note that while the city website is back on, the current SCL “tracker” is NOT accurate – it doesn’t show any of the areas where we’ve verified the power’s out. Also to reiterate – the Alaska/California Junction was ***not*** affected so plans are still ON for today’s Hometown Holidays festivities (Santa photos, Farmers Market, etc.).
8:59 AM: A crew was just putting out signs to close West Marginal Way SW south of Puget, as we arrived to check out reports of tree trouble as well as deep water (so much puddling even north of here, it’s not safe to drive) – so avoid W. Marginal Way TFN – we’ll be trying to check from the south side to see how far the closure stretches.
9:19 AM: If you need sandbags, there are still a few left on the east side of Delridge Community Center – photo above is from just a couple moments ago. (later note – as of 10:30, all gone, will try to find out if more will come)
9:37 AM: Longfellow Creek is now over its banks by Allstar Fitness. The parking lot was just being roped off as we drove up. Here’s the creek overflowing the nearby pedestrian bridge:
Club still open as far as we know. (P.S. For those who’ve asked – here’s the famous 12/2007 photo.)
9:53 AM: In case you were wondering, the West Seattle Farmers’ Market IS up and running (will be, at 10 am) – just drove by, vendors finishing setup – The Junction was NOT affected by the power outage. Santa photos start at 11 am at Donna Ryan Photography (this week’s $15 donation benefits West Seattle Helpline).
10:16 AM: City Light’s most recent estimate for restoring Admiral power is 11 am – we’ll be back there to check in person (and please let us know if you’re in the area, the second you’re back on).
10:35 AM UPDATE: Thanks to Laura and Pete for the note that Delridge CC is out of sandbags again. We’ll try to find out if more will be available. Meantime, WSDOT says the northbound I-5 exit to the West Seattle Bridge is closed, too much water. That and West Marginal Way SW are the two main closures affecting WS – that we know of, anyway – so far. Seattle Parks also reports the Longfellow Creek flooding has closed the WS Golf Course.
10:55 AM UPDATE: The NB I-5 exit to WS Bridge has reopened, says WSDOT. City Light says the still-out Admiral customers should be back on “within the hour.”
11:18 AM UPDATE: Starting to get word of people indeed getting their power back on in the Admiral outage zone. Muttley Crew Cuts (42nd/Admiral, west side) says theirs is back.
11:36 AM UPDATE: The photo above is the intrepid crew at the Hometown Holidays (co-sponsored by WSB) tent outside KeyBank in The Junction, there till 3 pm. Bring pet food for the donation drive! They’re kitty corner from Santa’s photo HQ at Donna Ryan Photography (also till 3). Meantime, the rain is lightening just a bit … the clouds seem to be lightening a bit … there’s hope this really will ease later this afternoon. We’ll be starting an afternoon story within the next hour or so, with ongoing afternoon updates – till then, this one is “stuck” atop the home page, with any newer news going beneath it, fyi.
12:10 PM: Though West Marginal Way SW is open again at the spot where we found it closed earlier, there’s a massive puddle further south and police were putting out flares – plus we lost our steering going through it (too late to turn around), and there are other big puddles further north, so AVOID W. Marginal TFN. Also beware Oregon just east of Delridge; there’s gravel all over the road.
Delridge Community Center is one of two places where the city is offering sandbags – the only one in the south end – but as of a short time ago, its supply was all gone. The center says they’re expecting more soon, but if you were planning on heading out to get some, you might consider waiting a while. Meantime, checking on the forecast, the heaviest rain is expected to be tonight through tomorrow night.
ADDED 3:01 PM: Not long after we finished this and ran out to an interview, Seattle Public Utilities sent its own advisory about the looming storm, including this information of note:
In preparation for the storm, SPU has assigned extra field operations workers to report to work Saturday and Sunday, and has staged flood control equipment at various locations around the city. The Utility is also delivering about 500 pre-packed sandbags to the Meadowbrook and Delridge Community Center (250 at each), today.
SPU is reminding the public to play it safe by staying out of low-lying areas during times of heavy rains. If your basement is prone to flooding, please stay out of the basement until the risk of flooding has passed.
The public’s help is also requested in keeping Seattle’s 78,000 street drains – the city’s first line of defense against storms – free of debris. Cleaning a blocked street drain is simple: using a rake, just scrape the debris from the drain and place it in your yard waste cart.
Thanks to Shelley for sharing that photo of a megapuddle on the west side of the 35th/Cloverdale intersection in Westwood. The most recent blast of wintry weather brought down most of local trees’ remaining leaves, and that means drains need attention – the city has repeatedly urged residents to “adopt a drain” and go tend to the ones nearest their homes. If you have removed the leaves and it’s still clogged – here’s the city hotline to call: (206) 386-1800 – more info here. (Any other puddles worth warning drivers about?)
COMCAST OUTAGE IN WEST SEATTLE: Via Twitter, the cable company confirms an outage here – affecting 2,500 homes and businesses, though we don’t have an exact area yet (aside from one affected customer’s e-mail mentioning they’re at 36th/Juneau). Comcast says crews are working on it, and the cause might have been a “fiber cut.” (10:58 am note – They’re now “splicing cable” but no estimated time for restoring service. … 1:58 pm update: Service is coming back, as both Comcast and a commenter indicate. Comcast says the cause “appears to be a bullet hole through a fiber line.”)
HIGHLAND PARK ELEMENTARY DONATIONS SOUGHT: We already have the school’s holiday bazaar this Saturday on the Holidays page, but a new event’s been added to it, and your donations are needed. From the school:
Highland Park Elementary 4th and 5th graders need your help! On January 19th they leave for Camp Seymour for three days and two nights. In order to keep costs affordable for the 125 students they are holding a ‘Rummage Sale’ in conjunction with the Highland Park PTA Holiday Bazaar on Saturday, December 4, from 10 to 3pm. For this sale to be successful they need donations of gently used household items such as dishes, pots and pans, knick knacks. tools, books, small furniture, toys, etc. You can also make a monetary donation to help defray the costs for some of our students who would not otherwise be able to attend. The cost per student is $60. If you are able to help in either way please contact Ryan Schaedig at 206 252-8240 or rwschaedig@seattleschools.org.
At left, the A-board sign announces the free Thanksgiving dinner that’s just started inside The Hall at Fauntleroy (the old schoolhouse is mostly out of view on the left). But the even bigger news is the view up that section of California SW to SW Barton – the big meltoff is under way, and the roads are getting better all the time. No more weather advisories; it’s raining lightly. Now, back inside The Hall at Fauntleroy, where Tuxedos and Tennis Shoes Catering (WSB sponsor) and a team of volunteers invite you to the free feast continuing till 3 pm – a few scenes:
The Hall at Fauntleroy’s at 9131 California SW; here’s a map. As noted on the West Seattle Holidays page, the West Seattle Eagles also invite all, nonmembers included, to a free meal 2-5 pm today, 4426 California SW. And if you haven’t checked our “who’s open” list – coffee, restaurants, grocery stores, to the best of our research abilities – find it here. Hope you’re having a great holiday!
ADDED 12:56 PM: Before the snow’s all gone … Heidi writes, “… since the weather has warmed up in Sunrise Heights, the snow is perfect for making snowmen and my husband couldn¹t pass up the chance.” The result:
(10:47 AM TOPLINE: No major road problems reported; SDOT salting snow routes)
(Refresh for latest pic of WS Bridge, looking eastbound, and 1st Ave. S. Bridge, more on the WSB Traffic cams page)
Happy Thanksgiving Day! Starting a morning report with info and updates.
*The cars out front have a new, light layer of snow, but currently, only the occasional flake is falling. Warmer than 24 hours earlier – 30 degrees at Boeing Field at 6 am; here’s the current Winter Weather Advisory. If you do have to drive today, please share info if you can, for others who have to hit the road for relatives’ homes, last-minute grocery shopping, etc. No major problems reported so far.
Last night, we published a sort of a tribute to The Great Walk Home, endured by dozens, maybe hundreds, who just gave up on trying to navigate the roads via bus or car on Monday night. It’s also been pointed out that bicycles beat the gridlock too. West Seattleite Eric Shalit, above, has published a review of the gear that helped (including studded snow tires). You can read about it here.
(Refresh for latest pic of WS Bridge, looking eastbound, and 1st Ave. S. Bridge, more on the WSB Traffic cams page)
Starting this a little earlier than planned, as there are various things to note: South Seattle Community College is closing at 2 pm and canceling evening classes, for starters. This report will again be “stuck” to the top of the page, with newer news appearing below it for now. You can find the morning/midday/early-afternoon reader reports on road conditions by going here. If the clouds are worrying you, here’s the forecast as updated this morning:
MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF VERY LIGHT SNOW OR FLURRIES. NO ACCUMULATION EXPECTED.
2:34 PM: No road problems reported currently (or all day!), in case you were wondering. Also a reminder that both city libraries and community centers are closing at 5 pm.
4:48 PM UPDATE: No problems on the roads. Reminder that we have published our “who’s open Thanksgiving” list for restaurants, grocery stores, and coffee shops – find it here – and the West Seattle Holidays page has a few other Thanksgiving notes, such as holiday workouts. If you have to drive tomorrow morning to get to Grandma’s house (or anywhere else) for Thanksgiving, WSDOT warns that road ice is possible with temperatures still low and a “mix of rain or snow in the forecast.” (Since WSB is 24/7/365, if there’s anything you need to know in or around West Seattle, we’ll be here.)
5:01 PM UPDATE: There’s a new “winter weather advisory” in effect 6 pm tonight to 1 pm tomorrow, with that chance of light snow/flurries tonight/tomorrow morning, plus, once the temperatures warm tomorrow morning, “a chance of light freezing rain or light sleet.”
5:56 PM UPDATE: Metro will remain on snow routing through at least tomorrow morning. Tomorrow it’s on Sunday service; Friday it’s on “reduced weekday service.” And Thursday-Friday, there’s no King County Water Taxi (that goes for the shuttle buses too).
6:49 PM UPDATE: Via Facebook, Stacey reports some snowflakes in north West Seattle. Nothing down here so far.
Just in from Seattle Public Utilities: As it was on Tuesday, trash/recycling pickup is CANCELED again today – put out double NEXT Wednesday. Here’s the news release just received:Read More
(11:09 AM TOPLINE: No problems reported; bridge/Viaduct ‘bare/dry’ per city … Trash/recycling pickup is CANCELED … Most schools closed … Quick links below cams)
(Refresh for latest pic of WS Bridge, looking eastbound, and 1st Ave. S. Bridge, more on the WSB Traffic cams page)
One more icy commute before the holiday. Metro remains on snow routing; the West Seattle Water Taxi is back in service. Most schools are out; here’s the list. (By the way – the University of Washington changed its mind late last night and is now closed for the day.)
6:07 AM UPDATE: Just took a quick spin around online and so far no major problems reported in our area right now. 17 degrees at Sea-Tac at the top of the hour.
6:30 AM UPDATE: Thanks for again sharing road reports (and other updates) in the comments. We’re also monitoring, and posting updates to, Twitter and Facebook. The weather forecast looks the same as it did last night; the National Weather Service has renewed its “special weather statement,” warning of “sub-freezing” temperatures through Thanksgiving morning – again today, we won’t get past freezing, but tomorrow afternoon, the 40s should return.
6:39 AM UPDATE: Trash/recycling pickup POSTPONED again today – as it was yesterday – put out double next week; this just in from Seattle Public Utilities. (And if you have Thursday pickup, that’s already postponed till Friday, for the holiday.)
7:15 AM UPDATE: Starting to hear from some people with water trouble. Angela at 35th/112th has none. Someone on Twitter has frozen pipes. We’ll be checking with Seattle Public Utilities to see if they know of any major problems – if it’s just your house, though, the responsibility is yours. A few reminders originally posted yesterday: Today’s Rotary and Kiwanis meetings are canceled; Seattle Public Library branches will be open noon-5 pm. Also heard this morning from Allstar Fitness: Open regular hours but morning classes canceled, and SW Yancy is still very icy.
7:37 AM UPDATE: The city has just issued its latest roundup of service status. You can read the whole thing here; highlights – Viaduct/West Seattle Bridge “bare and dry”; roads considered “snow routes” are in “good” condition; community centers and Camp Long will be open 10 am-5 pm for drop-in activities but programs are canceled; the roundup also has advice about dealing with frozen/broken pipes!
8:37 AM UPDATE: Still problem-free, roads and buses, per WSB commenters and the other streams we’re watching. Here’s our most-recent photos of nearby California/Thistle corner (both arterials) – typical, says the city, for major routes:
9:30 AM UPDATE: Still quiet!
11:09 AM UPDATE: From SDOT via Twitter: “SDOT has 12 pedestrian crews out clearing city owned sidewalks and landings right now.” We have “unstuck” this item so it’s no longer atop the page, but we will launch an evening-commute version after 3 pm, with other news higher up in the meantime. Once again, THANKS for sharing information photos, and for just being here.
One last look at Tuesday before it’s gone and we move toward all this being the latest snowy memory: First photo is courtesy of Susan, whose daughter Aliza is a bridge between the snows of 2008 and 2010: Today marked Aliza’s first sled ride, with dad; she is 23 months old, which places her birthdate during Snowpocalypse ’08.
Older sledders took to West Seattle’s iconic Charlestown Hill:
The video is courtesy of Beth. Over in southeast West Seattle, Amy sent a photo to show what her family had been up to:
They’re in Riverview, and Amy says, “We tried to clear off the sidewalk and driveway, but it was too hard to chip the ice off.” Then there were the serene scenes – Kate shared this one:
And another well-known artwork – this one photographed by Anne from Ventana Construction (WSB sponsor) on Monday night:
Just as we were wrapping up, one more contribution showed up in the inbox:
That’s from Mr. Suave, who identifies the star as Kali Shiva the yellow lab, and the location as Highland Park Elementary School and vicinity.
First came the north winds whipping up wild waves last Sunday – then the snow and even-stronger wind last night – and this morning along Alki Beach, this is what it revealed. Jim Mercure photographed the startling scene on the shore, saying he “was shocked to see the massive amount of erosion of the shoreline.” (Note the fire ring that’s now with the driftwood instead of up on the sand.)
The phenomenon also was noticed by Alki resident Russ Walker, who noted in e-mail, with a photo link, “Went outside for the first time not long ago to find 2 ft of elevation gone from the beach. I expected some erosion, but not this much. The stairs down to the beach now end about 18 inches short of the sand. And I see more old pier posts that haven’t been exposed in the 20 months we’ve been living here.” Lucky the weather is relatively calm (albeit cold) tonight, since the second-highest tide of the month peaks just after 7 tomorrow morning.
(UPDATED TOPLINES, 10:21 PM: Bridges OK. Many roads icy. Metro info here – snow routing again Wednesday. Water Taxi resumes Wednesday. Most schools closed Wednesday, closures updated here)
3:01 PM: No new snow today – so all you have to worry about this afternoon/evening is ice. Traveling from south to north West Seattle at midday today, we saw several SDOT trucks, including the one above. They say 11 plow-spreader trucks are operating “in the south end” along with 2 “brine flush” trucks. They’re monitoring the bridges while considering salt before the evening commute. So how are the bridges? Here are the latest live pictures:
(Refresh for latest pic of WS Bridge, looking eastbound, and 1st Ave. S. Bridge, more on the WSB Traffic cams page)
For earlier road reports, check comments on our previous continuous-coverage update – but now it’s time to look ahead and share news on what’s happening for the rest of the day/evening. The city now is updating an online list of road closures – click here. (Highland Park Way is the biggest one in our area right now.)
But even if a road’s open, it can be treacherous, as thisSeattle City Light truck found out on Fairmount (thanks to S for the photo/info):
She says it’s been there at least an hour, and another City Light truck, with cones, is blocking the road uphill. And there’s the garbage truck stuck west of The Junction since *yesterday* – James shared this video of the tow truck running a line way down hill:
Remember that SDOT is only working on the major roads – lots of icy neighborhood streets, like 106th and 34th looking east, in this photo from MargL:
Dwight sent this photo from 44th, closed “just up from Brace Point” because a water main broke, leaving a thick sheet of ice on the street:
NOTES FOR TONIGHT: Community Centers closing 4 pm. City libraries closing 5 pm (open noon-5 tomorrow). West Seattle YMCA closing 8 pm.
4:44 PM UPDATE: Seattle Public Schools has just announced no school tomorrow, as have Hope Lutheran School and Seattle Lutheran High School. On the roads, there are multiple units responding to a crash at 5400 West Marginal Way SW (map), but we have no details yet.
5 PM UPDATE: A stalled vehicle reported on the southbound Alaskan Way Viaduct near Columbia onramp.
5:54 PM UPDATE: If you wonder what the fire trucks are doing at Junction QFC – we’ve published a short story about it; there’s a water problem, but the store’s still open. Another business note: Barnes & Noble-Westwood says they’re closing at 6 pm but expecting a normal 9 am opening tomorrow.
6:36 PM UPDATE: Still no reports of trouble. Hope everyone is home safe and warm by now. We’re now under a Special Weather Statement – the National Weather Service says subfreezing temperatures are expected to continue into Thanksgiving morning, and then things will trend back toward “normal.” Also continuing to add Wednesday school closures/changes to the page linked atop this story.
6:49 PM UPDATE: Looking for Sea-Tac Airport info? West Seattle’s Alice Enevoldsen (ofAlicesAstroInfo.com among other things) has been tweeting about her odyssey to get to the airport. Her reports include: Highway 509 “wet one lane, piled slush on lane edges,” exits icy (like 518 and 518 to 509), no taxi lines that she saw, “airport overall calm and quiet,” icy roads through Burien and White Center. Read all her updates by going to twitter.com/alicesastroinfo.
7:06 PM UPDATE: Chimney fire call in the 3000 block of 49th SW – scanner describes it as “possible” chimney fire.
7:16 PM UPDATE: New Metro info in for tomorrow, which gives us the occasion to use this photo they sent along earlier today:
That’s King County Executive Dow Constantine watching as Metro’s Saravanan Thangavelu and Mark Gorow prepare a new round of Transit Alerts to go out to bus riders. Highlights of Metro’s latest update: Keep staying inside if at all possible; tomorrow morning’s conditions aren’t expected to be much better, and buses are expected to be on snow routing again. You’ll find Wednesday updates by 4 am here. Metro will be out overnight checking conditions and also retrieving stuck buses.
7:38 PM UPDATE: The Kiwanis Club of West Seattle and Rotary Club of West Seattle both have now called off tomorrow’s meetings.
10:17 PM UPDATE: What a difference a night makes – it’s been really quiet, no word of anything like last night’s traffictastrophes. A few more schools have made their decisions for tomorrow; here’s our updated list. We also have word from a WSB’er that Superior and District Court are both closed again tomorrow – which she says hasn’t happened two days in a row in the more-than-a-few years she’s worked for the court. Metro is DEFINITELY on snow routing for the morning, and the Water Taxi is scheduled to be back in operation. Beautiful shot here by William, taken this morning:
Also from the West Seattle shore – dramatic photos of erosion that was revealed this morning, in the wake of last night’s wind (and preceding storminess) – see them here.
11:11 PM UPDATE: We are “unsticking” this story and it will fall back down the page to the point where it began (you can find the quicklink from the TOP STORIES list on the sidebar). We’ll start a morning commute story in the 5 am hour; of course if anything major happens in the meantime, we remain on 24/7 patrol, so we’ll report it separately.
Many talked about this in various venues Monday night … in comments on our afternoon/evening snow updates, on Facebook, on Twitter… but we thought that before it recedes too far into memory, The Great Monday Night Walk Home should be commemorated with its own story. Jeff Johnson shared the top photo: “I gave up on the buses stuck in traffic and joined hundreds of others hiking our way back to West Seattle. … Warming up at home now!” The next one is from Brian Zenk:
He wrote:
Total trek time was from 5 to 8:15.
I sat on a bus between Denny Way and Pike for one hour.
I jumped off the bus around five.
I finally arrived at home after walking from Pike Street near the market. The bridges were blocked and I walked with many others who could not sit in the bus. We were blocked by a freight train and had to wait to cross the tracks. This was down near Home Depot. When we arrived at the lower West Seattle Bridge, there was no salt or gravel on the bridge and we could smell burning rubber of car tires.
Long Bach Nguyen captured this scene of people walking on the south end of California SW:
And Josh Wendt shared scenes from his trip home – he says he works at Harborview Medical Center and took about an hour and a half to get home to 37th SW. Note the bumper-to-bumper traffic along Alaskan Way:
And looking back at The Bridge:
Last but not least – we included this video in last night’s coverage, but it’s the only clip we have of The Big Walk. Bill Schrier, who shot it, was walking home from downtown – where he works as the tech boss for the City of Seattle:
Thanks to everyone who’s sharing their photos, video, and stories.
We’ve added this to the main story atop the page, but for anyone looking for it separately, this just in from Seattle Public Utilities:
Garbage, yard waste and recycling collection has been delayed in Seattle for today, Tuesday, November 23, due to dangerous road conditions.
Collection services will be available today in Seattle on a limited basis for large essential commercial accounts.
Missed customers will be collected next Tuesday, November 30, and allowed to set out double their normal amount of garbage at no additional charge.
Customers missed Monday, November 22, will be collected next Monday, November 29, and also allowed to set out double their normal amount of garbage at no additional charge.
When setting out extra waste, customers are encouraged to place perishable food items in their collection containers and set bagged, non-perishable items next to the containers.
(Latest updates/pix at end of story; also note NEWER news is BELOW this story on the home page. Metro info here. NO Water Taxi, NO trash/recycling, Seattle Public Library branches closing 5 pm, Community Centers closing 4 pm)
(Refresh for latest pic from WS Bridge camera, looking eastbound, and Junction cam, more on the WSB Traffic cams page) 6:31 AM: Time to start talking about the roads and the schools heading into the main morning-commute hours. Have just added more local schools to our full list of school changes/closures. Been on the road already today? Let us know what you found. Meantime, Metro already has canceled some routes in its system and renews its request this morning to stay home if you possibly can – check here for your route’s status. No West Seattle Water Taxi today. Sound Transitsays the 560 is on reduced service. Seattle City Light still has about 400 people out in six pockets around the north half of the peninsula.
7:06 AM UPDATE:Seattle Public Library branches will open at 1 pm today.
7:21 AM UPDATE: From Trevor in comments, regarding The Bridge and The Viaduct: “At 6:30 am, the West Seattle bridge eastbound part of my commute was the easiest! 99 northbound ok but need to go slow… lots of abandoned cars and slush/ice but not too bad.” SDOT is ***not*** reporting any major closures as of right now. Wondering about the forecast? “The snow has ended,” says the new Winter Weather Advisory issued by the National Weather Service a couple hours ago (in effect until noon), but the temperature is not expected to get above freezing today or tomorrow, so icy roads will be a problem for a few days.
7:36 AM UPDATE: Firsthand report on venturing gingerly outside the house: Compact snow and ice is the word for the walkway and sidewalk, as well as for the two-arterial intersection near WSB HQ (Thistle/California). Saw a couple cars go by, doing OK as long as they went slow-and-steady. The breeze isn’t strong but it truly is bitterly cold. The birds are protesting the snow-covered bird bath, so if you go out later – safely – remember them (we’ll be attending to ours). This is the view looking north on California from Thistle:
Cancellation note from comments: No Rotary Club of West Seattle meeting today. Meantime, we’re trying to find out what’s up with trash collecting (many West Seattleites – including us – have Tuesday pickup). Reminder that county courts are closed today – Amy makes note of that (part of the King County Executive’s “stay home if you’re not absolutely essential” entreaty early today).
7:48 AM UPDATE: A new city update’s in – the Emergency Ops Center reopened at 5 am – but it doesn’t include Seattle Public Utilities, so far. Here’s the word on roads etc:
SDOT night shift crews are operating 15 plow and spreader trucks this morning that are loaded with granular salt (rock salt) for treating all areas that have accumulations of ice or packed snow. SDOT is making progress on Condition Level 1 corridors with crews focusing on trouble spots such as elevated structures and hills. SDOT is also making progress on Condition Level 2 corridors focusing on transit routes and hills. …
SDOT will increase snow response crews for this morning’s commute and transition to the day shift at 8:00 a.m. with 22 plow/spreader trucks being dispatched to continue improving conditions on Condition Level 1 and 2 snow routes. SDOT will focus to open closed streets and assist King County Metro recover stalled buses.
8:01 AM UPDATE: And it’s official: Trash and other solid-waste pickup for today is POSTPONED, according to Seattle Public Utilities, which says if you were supposed to have pickup today, “set out double (your) normal amount … at no additional charge” NEXT Tuesday. (Here’s the full text of their announcement.)
8:15 AM UPDATE: From Jessica, who took the photo “looking north on 35th ave sw and Roxbury. Saw a chained articulated #56 going round the Roxbury corner onto 35th. Sheets of ice though”:
Road condition reports/photos very much appreciated (editor@westseattleblog.com) – especially if you’re on an arterial. (And the comment section is already full of great updates this morning.) Thanks!
8:37 AM UPDATE: This coverage will stay atop the home page – which means NEWER, NON-SNOW NEWS is published BENEATH it for now. If you can get around today, please note the newest story we’ve added – White Center Food Bank needs volunteer help today.
8:54 AM UPDATE: Mayor McGinn was just interviewed on KING 5. He said they’ll be assessing the response – what went wrong, what went right – when the weather problems are over. He declined to grade the response (you’ll recall that’s where his predecessor went wrong in December ’08). He says it seemed like everything was going OK till “mid-afternoon” yesterday. Practical info: He says abandoned cars will NOT be towed or ticketed – unless they are blocking roads. He also mentioned that he’s aware many West Seattleites had a very long commute home. (Asked how he got home, he said he was picked up and driven home via Ballard.)
9:35 AM UPDATE: State Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond is starting a KIRO Radio (97.3) interview right now – I-5, where so many were marooned, falls under her wing, so we’ll be listening. In West Seattle, Danny Gawlowski from the Seattle Times (WSB partner) is out and about today – he just tweeted this photo of SW Alaska with the closure sign (always an ice-prone hill) west of The Junction):
Paul spotted that bus, apparently abandoned, at California/Othello in lower Gatewood this morning.
10:22 AM UPDATE: A WSB team member is traveling California by bus checking on things (the 22 “snow shuttle” from here). The bus shown above is still stuck, he reports, with traffic slowly getting around it. In the other direction, at Westwood Village, Michelle took this photo:
She reports, “Thought people may want to know that the Barnes and Noble, Bed Bath and Beyond, and 24 Hr Fitness are all open and it is quiet and icy at Westwood Village. Some of the small shops are closed.” (We’ll be checking on Junction/Admiral – business owners are also welcome to e-mail us again today with news of their status.)
10:53 AM UPDATE: In The Junction, we’re finding business owners, clearing off their walkways and otherwise bustling (two days till Thanksgiving!). Above, that’s Funky Jane’s owner Angela with her kids – and a newly purchased snow shovel. Next, Scott from the Electric Train Store, working on his walkway:
Latest weather-related cancellation: Joe McDermott‘s swearing-in as a County Councilmember has been postponed. (The Elections Department was scheduled to finalize the Nov. 2 results today but that’s been put off.)
11:47 AM UPDATE: Also postponed: The Sofia Goff (Cafe Revo) fundraiser set for today is rescheduled for Saturday. Re: open businesses – West Seattle Cellars says they’re open till 7 tonight and 11-7 tomorrow; Twilight Artist Collective in The Junction will be opening a bit later as its proprietors slog their way in to work; Mountain to Sound Outfitters (WSB sponsor) is open and having that sale mentioned last night – gear to keep you warm. And we have more bus trouble. You might have heard earlier about the buses stuck at 44th/Glenn/Oregon on the northwest edge of The Junction – still there, says Katie; here’s one:
Galena spotted this one a short time ago in the 3000 block of SW Avalon Way:
And our roving reporter saw this one on SW Admiral Way around 38th:
Just heard a live TV interview with a Metro spokesperson who says dozens of buses are still stuck in various spots around the county. And to soften the tales of trouble – this was just shared via the WSB inbox – 2 1/2 year-old Violet made “Mrs. Snowman”:
12:10 PM UPDATE: A few more business notes – Allstar Fitness may close early (3-ish); 8 Limbs Yoga canceled all classes.
1:28 PM UPDATE: Preps for the afternoon/evening commute are well under way. Our roving reporter has seen multiple SDOT trucks on West Seattle arterials. And WSDOT has just sent an update, including this paragraph:
“We have all available trucks and crew members out, working day and night,” said Chris Christopher, Maintenance Director for Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). “In Western Washington alone, we have 250 trucks and 300 crew members working 12-hour shifts. But with temperatures still below freezing drivers may see ice on the roads for at least another day.”
1:44 PM UPDATE: Seattle Public Library branches are closing at 5 pm – thanks to Wally for the tip. Meantime, we’ve published several new stories you’ll find beneath this one on the home page (until we “unstick” this when we start afternoon/evening coverage in the next half-hour or so – then it’ll fall back into reverse-chronological order) – newest, a look back at the Great Monday Night Walk Home.
1:56 PM: Ron Angeles in the city’s Delridge Neighborhood Service Center has just shared the city’s latest roundup. Note, we have EXCERPTED the information of most relevance to West Seattle and cut out the rest. This was compiled by the city’s Emergency Operations Center, which is apparently closing momentarily and will reopen for tomorrow’s morning commute:
SDOT had crews on the streets plowing and de-icing throughout the night. Approximately 70% of Level 1 and 2 streets have 2 lanes open. Thirty-nine street segments are currently closed due to snow and black ice.
Transit impacts continue from yesterday. Metro buses are chained up and operating on snow routes. Fourteen bus routes have been cancelled (see list below). Metro is responding to 119 buses that are currently stranded. Access para-transit vans are operating on life-sustaining trips (e.g. dialysis patients) only.
All transportation agencies encouraged people to stay off the roads if possible today.
Morning commute traffic was light.
Road Closures:
• Olson Pl SW / SW Roxbury to 1 Ave S
• SW Charlestown St / 46th Ave SW to 47 Ave SW
• Highland Park Way SW / W Marginal Way to SW Holden St
Canceled Metro Bus Routes:
2 Express, 7 Express, 38, 45, 51, 53, 76, 77, 79, 110, 210, 219, 266 and 310.
Parks Facilities and Programs
All community centers will close at 4 pm today.
All pools are closed.
All athletic fields are closed.
All evening recreational programs are canceled.
The Carkeek Park learning center is closed.
Twenty SDOT crews are continuing road clearing activities. This morning SDOT crews implemented the Pedestrian Response plan, which includes de-icing pedestrian landings and city-owned stair wells.
(Looking for the Monday mega-report with 500+ comments? Find it here. School closures/changes are here.)
(From Ted – video from the scene of the downed tree at California/Walker) 12:01 AM: Now that the evening commute has finally ended – just in time for a brand-new day – we’re starting a new round of running coverage. We’ll talk about what’s happening overnight – such as, I-5 is still reported to be a “parking lot” – but also look ahead to the morning. For starters – here’s our list of school closures. Plus – Metro says it’ll be nowhere near full service this morning; what service they do offer will again be on snow routes. Perhaps foreshadowing the service reduction, Kris just tweeted this photo from the low-bridge vicinity:
Via Twitter,Justin says the 21 is running along 1st Avenue South. Meantime, the weather folks all say it’ll be incredibly icy.
12:43 AM UPDATE: According to Seattle City Light‘s outage tracker, more than 460 West Seattle homes/businesses, all on the north end of the peninsula, are without power right now. None of the outages lists an estimated restoration time. Meantime, more traffic information: Abandoned vehicles seem to be a big problem on most major routes – we’re hearing of them on the westbound high bridge, the Alaskan Way Viaduct, and this just tweeted by WSDOT: “On the I-5 northbound off-ramp to the West Seattle Bridge, there are disabled vehicles blocking the ramp.”
1:57 AM UPDATE: Via Twitter – word of a very long taxi line at Sea-Tac. Meantime, we’ve taken a closer look at the forecast, and noticed we’re now under a Winter Weather Advisory until 4 pm; it’s supposed to get sunny today, while staying very cold – a high in the 20s, then a low possibly into single digits. The wind right now, however, is definitely double digits – howling out there.
2:36 AM UPDATE: OK, it wasn’t 100 percent doom and gloom. ZJ shared this photo from Genesee Hill:
And then there was the following photo from Krista:
Her caption: “I sense something. A presence I’ve not felt since….. 2008.”
6:31 AM UPDATE: We’ve just started a new “morning commute” story – see you there!
LATEST TOPLINES 10:30 PM: ****School updates – Seattle Public Schools all closed Tuesday; several more school changes here … Metro will be on snow routes again Tuesday and expecting some cancellations … West Seattle (high) Bridge *open* … **Low bridge now reported blocked westbound by bus trouble**. Alaskan Way Viaduct has reopened … Buses have taken HOURS to get to WS … 1st Ave S. Bridge open but having problems. Roxbury/Myers hill to/from 509 *slippery*. Highland Park Way closed. Admiral Hill miserable. SW Yancy “sheet of ice”; many other West Seattle roads, especially the hilliest, also having trouble – avoid driving. Seattle Public Library branches closed early (6 pm).
(Refresh for latest pic from WS Bridge camera, looking eastbound, and 1st Ave. S. Bridge cam, more on the WSB Traffic cams page) FIRST UPDATE, 12:20 PM: It’s been snow-showery off and on all morning – our video is from about half an hour ago:
1:32 PM: While there’s something of a lull before the threatened blast of afternoon snow and wind – not to mention, commute information regardless of conditions – we’re publishing some other news – scroll BELOW this story on the WSB home page (this will be “stuck” to the top but newer news will appear beneath it). Here’s a video clip, by the way, shot by Danny Gawlowski from the Seattle Times (WSB partners) – brothers Michael and Anthony Dimitre building a little snowman south of The Junction:
2:37 PM UPDATE: The snow and the wind are picking up. (No new forecast likely till later this afternoon, but here’s the newest one, if you haven’t seen it.)
3:53 PM UPDATE: Commute in full swing, as is windblown snow. Multiple trouble reports coming in. The West Seattle Bridge westbound is said to be a trouble spot – we’ve got one report from Pauline, stopped in traffic: “Bridge seems to be iced over with lots of stalled cars- no one is able to get up the hill going west on bridge. Need sanding trucks or something!” One driver calls it “a sheet of ice.” Multiple vehicles stopped, according to another who passed by. This photo from Paul:
A different Paul reports northbound Delridge onramp to eastbound bridge is closed. Also, the Battery Street Tunnel is now having trouble, if you are north of downtown or have to head that way – SDOT reports it’s closed southbound. And we are hearing from bus riders downtown that there’s quite a wait.
4:25 PM UPDATE: Anything that’s a hill – avoid. Admiral now said to be a mess between bridge and viewpoint. Roxbury is having trouble in westbound – Todd reports a bus is blocking it. Also note the Columbia entrance to the southbound Viaduct downtown is reported closed. Sanding trucks are trying to get to the WS Bridge “to get it back open,” per scanner. The low bridge ALSO is reported blocked, bus and truck trouble, according to Rose, who sent this photo:
4:58 PM UPDATE: 1st Avenue South Bridge is reported open, but otherwise we’re hearing most routes are still in bad shape. Also just got word that the West Seattle Water Taxi is having some trouble – commenter says they’re going to try to see if a bigger boat will help deal with wind/dock.
5:09 PM UPDATE: Water Taxi now CANCELED for rest of the evening. Wind has just picked up where we are – remember that strong wind is forecast as well as snow/cold. Also – Alaskan Way Viaduct CLOSED both ways according to e-mail just in from city Emergency Services Center. Quick reminder: In addition to updating the Web, we are also posting updates (as are “friends”/”followers”) on Twitter (@westseattleblog) and Facebook (facebook.com/westseattleblog).
5:41 PM UPDATE: SDOT says high bridge open but slow going. The “live picture” atop our story here (from city traffic camera) would seem to validate that. A non-traffic note: Seattle Public Library branches are closing at 6 pm.
5:53 PM UPDATE: From Rob via Facebook – many have been asking about this route:
I just got home in arbor heights via 1st ave s bridge, 509, Roxbury. There were two semi trucks stuck on the bridge, squeezing it to 1 lane. After that there were many cars spun out on the hill up to Roxbury. They are all over the road and moving randomly, so a really dangerous situation unless you enjoy auto pinball. The hill is very slippery and it’s probably best everyone just stay away but if you must drive it make sure you know what you are doing.
He said the trip home from SODO took … two hours. Also note, surface streets aren’t in the best of shape either. WSB contributor Ellen Cedergreen just sent a photo of a spinout in The Junction, 42nd/ Alaska. Looks like everyone’s OK, but nerve-rattling.
6:11 PM UPDATE: From Rachel via e-mail:
Please post on updates that Admiral Hill is extremely dangerous right now, when I came down it at 5 pm there were at least 15 cars wiped out on the sides, and cars sliding everywhere. Very scary situation and I was in a truck but still sliding like crazy also.
We cannot stress enough – don’t go out unless it’s an emergency. Obviously a lot of people are just trying to get home, but once you’re there (and it’s taking some *hours*), please stay in. Also know that the “official” reports on major roads are not coming in consistently – so if something doesn’t have a live camera (see the Traffic page), we may not know its status for sure unless someone nearby comments on it. Road photos welcome, too; we have some “snow fun” shots from earlier that we will get into a gallery later, but right now the traffic/safety info is paramount.
6:37 PM UPDATE: Photo from less than an hour ago on low bridge – many people are said to be walking back to West Seattle from SODO (dangerous – wind chill! it’s really kicking up out there) and this is what they’re encountering – the pedestrian/bike part definitely open – thanks to Tomf2009 via Twitter:
6:54 PM UPDATE: Lights just blinked. Charge your smartphone if you have one. … Also just heard some SDOT discussion via the scanner: 42nd/Edmunds “a sheet of ice” (south of Jefferson Square Safeway). Has been said about many streets – we got a note that SW Yancy (between Avalon and Allstar Fitness) is in that same condition.
7:02 PM UPDATE: Bruce Butterfield (president of the Fauntleroy Community Association) posted on FB wall that the lower bridge IS MOVING.
7:32 PM UPDATE: Commenters are continuing to share updates on road and bus conditions. A long-suffering 54 ridership is apparently getting closer to home. Meantime, some other problems. Thanks to Mike Jensen for this photo of a tree down by VCA on California SW south of The Junction:
7:48 PM UPDATE: Some of the people walking from SODO have made it into Skylark Café (WSB sponsor), according to a comment from proprietor Jessie SK on the WSB Facebook Wall. Meantime, we checked with the City Light outage tracker, since the wind’s been up quite a while and many have reported flickers – so far, only two small outages in West Seattle, pockets in the north (see them here), although on a night like tonight – with temperatures already into the low 20s – even a 1-person outage is especially bad news. Back to the walkers – Kristina’s husband took this, walking up Highland Park Way:
Kristina says he saw at least 10 abandoned, stuck, or “trying to get unstuck” cars, some even in the bushes.
8:08 PM UPDATE: Hope Lutheran School parent says she got the call they’re closed tomorrow. We started a separate page with Tuesday school info – here’s the link. Also, Twitter note says a new problem blocking the low bridge westbound – stalled truck.
8:20 PM UPDATE: Now there are several small outages in northern West Seattle. Biggest one is along Admiral in Alki Mail vicinity – 145 homes/businesses, according to the City Light tracker.
8:30 PM UPDATE: Seattle Public Schools now canceled for Tuesday. More school info here (and we’ll continue updating that page as we get updates from private schools, Highline, Vashon, etc.). Also note – safety problems with some wires blown-down, 35th/Dakota is the latest report.
9:18 PM UPDATE: Metro will be on snow routes again Tuesday. Low bridge now having new trouble with a jack-knifed bus. We are hearing from more and more people who have been on buses for up to FIVE HOURS trying to get home to West Seattle. Here’s one pic we received of some of the earlier-reported walkers going across the low bridge:
We also have another tree down – Eric sent this photo of the tree at California/Walker:
9:48 PM UPDATE: More school closures – Seattle Lutheran and Northwest Montessori (all branches including West Seattle) also closed tomorrow. Go here for the full list of Tuesday school closure/delays reported so far. Also we’re inviting businesses to share word of changes – so far, The Little Gym of West Seattle is closed tomorrow, 8 Limbs Yoga in The Junction is canceling 6:30 and 11 am classes. Our favorite TV meteorologist, former Q13 co-worker Walter Kelley, says one more big band of snow will come through before 4 am – after that, the big problem foreseen is the ice.
10:22 PM UPDATE: From Bill Schrier, video of some of the bridge walkers:
They and the 4- to 6-hour bus ride endurers are the story of the night.
10:29 PM UPDATE: Metro contacted us to say that not only will they be on snow routing tomorrow, they are already certain there will be cancellations, so they’re urging people to stay home if they possibly can. Here’s their complete news release, including details on Access buses.
10:56 PM UPDATE: More school closures/delays – West Seattle Montessori/Academy, Explorer West Middle School closed, Highline Public Schools now closed, Holy Family expecting a one-hour delay. Also note that the Alaskan Way Viaduct is open and fairly clear – we just got a phone call from a long-ago co-worker who mentioned he had taken The Viaduct to The Bridge from Queen Anne within the past hour or so and made decent time.
**NOTE: We’ve now started afternoon coverage – go here – thanks!**
(TOPLINES: *Winter Storm Warning now in effect till 10 pm* … Metro on snow routes. Seattle Public Schools is now ending ALL activities @ 12:35 pm (update from early am), Vashon School District 2 hours late, Explorer West out 12:35, Our Lady of Guadalupe out 12:30, Seattle Lutheran HS out 12:15, Hope Lutheran, WS Montessori and Holy Rosary out 12 noon, Shorewood Christian canceled. Continuing coverage below.)
(Refresh for latest pic from WS Bridge camera, looking eastbound, and Junction cam, more on the WSB Traffic cams page) FIRST REPORT, 5:01 AM: Starting our morning weather/traffic watch: It’s snowing here in Upper Fauntleroy, and sticking. Remember that Metro already was planning to be on snow routing to start the day, in ALL areas. Please share info on what it looks like where you are. Here’s an iPhone pic of snow on car/road right outside:
It’s a thin layer, though, as of that 5:05 am photo.
BUS INFORMATION:Here’s the snow routing info from Metro (which reminds you to PLEASE sign up for alerts for your route/s and is advertising that fact here and on other media sources).
SCHOOL INFORMATION, ONGOING UPDATES: Seattle Public Schools says it will dismiss middle and high schools EARLY today, 12:35 pm, because of “the snow expected this afternoon.” (Update at 9:54 am – They’re now ending ALL activities at 12:35 pm.) Vashon Island School District is 2 hours late. (We’re checking on local independent schools, but direct reports are welcome – editor@westseattleblog.com – so far, Explorer West getting out at 12:35 pm, Seattle Lutheran HS out at 12:15 pm, West Seattle Montessori, Hope Lutheran, Holy Rosary out at noon, OLG out at 12:30, Holy Family dismissing after lunch, Shorewood Christian CANCELED.)
6 AM UPDATE: That’s California/Thistle near WSB HQ, photographed a few moments ago. Checked the depth on our car – about 1/4″. No road problems reported so far in our area but drive VERY carefully. Light-to-moderate snow still falling here, has been steady for at least an hour and a half.
6:20 AM UPDATE: Adding to the school information higher up in this story – Vashon is 2 hours late. Note that the forecast calls for more snow later; the Winter Weather Advisory is in effect till evening. From SDOT via Twitter:
Snow routes pre-treated overnight. Two pre-treatment trucks working on SR99 and West Seattle high rise now. Snow routes in solid condition.
6:50 AM UPDATE: From the mayor’s office:
With a winter weather advisory calling for snow throughout the day, Mayor Mike McGinn activated Seattle’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) this morning. The EOC will remain open as needed to monitor weather conditions and provide support and coordination with city departments.
The winter weather advisory is calling for unusually strong winds, with sustained winds at 25 mph, and gusts up to 40 mph. Temperatures are expected to remain at or below freezing all day. Snow flurries will continue this morning with snow at times this afternoon and early evening.
7:02 AM UPDATE: Starting to get light, will wait till then for next photo. Snow much lighter than it was two hours ago. Still no notable trouble reported on any area roads.
7:27 AM UPDATE: And – the snow’s picking up again. We’re checking out a fire response around 41st/Hinds, “4 Red” so not a full house fire.
7:38 AM UPDATE: Explorer West Middle School will close at 12:35 pm, per Tanya via FB. Meantime, from Fauntlee Hills, Cheryl sends this view looking north on SW Trenton (including her neighbor’s “authentic train signal):
We’re not too far north of there, a little bit higher elevation, but much snowier here. New photo shortly. Yours are welcome too.
7:51 AM UPDATE: East Marginal is “not an option,” we’re hearing via cdawg 2610 on Twitter – took a long time. Also note that Fauntleroy ferry dock is slippery, per DLGordo on Twitter (see the “live camera” on the WSB Traffic page). Meantime, the photo immediately above was taken a few minutes ago looking north on California from Thistle (our HQ vicinity) – both arterials but starting to get some snow sticking on the surface despite ostensible earlier deicing. And here’s California looking southbound, just north of The Junction, taken about 20 minutes ago:
8:16 AM UPDATE: More reports of slippery roads (co-publisher Patrick took the north-of-Junction photo on the way back from checking 41st/Hinds call and he says the Charlestown vicinity was especially slippery). Thanks again to everyone sharing road and bus reports in the comments. After the commute, we will start adding non-snow news BELOW this story, since it’s programmed to stay atop the page (yes, there IS some non-snow news to talk about!). Meantime, Cathy shares this photo taken about 7:45 am from Upper Alki – they’ve got about half an inch so far:
8:32 AM UPDATE: SDOT says that as of 8 am, they were planning to send out snowplows as needed. Meantime, a couple scenes from Sunrise Heights; first from Ty, looking toward Westside School (WSB sponsor):
Ty has also posted an update on his neighborhood site Roxhill Rox. And via Facebook from Michelle – including the iconic cow-topped John’s Corner Deli, at 35th/Webster:
9:22 AM UPDATE: The snow’s back to falling more seriously. Very off-again, on-again. We have a beach-level photo of Alki, courtesy of Cami:
9:49 AM UPDATE: The National Weather Service has now issued a winter-storm warning for our area. Also, an UPDATE from Seattle Public Schools – they are now ending ALL activities for the day at 12:35 pm – no after-school activities, no conferences after 12:35, and as reported earlier, middle- and high-school classes are ending for the day at that point too. Also just in: Seattle Lutheran HS out at 12:15 pm, West Seattle Montessori out at noon. (added) Holy Rosary’s dismissing at noon, Our Lady of Guadalupe at 12:30.
10:23 AM UPDATE: Seattle City Council is in the middle of a prescheduled briefing on the city’s snow/ice response for the year. You can watch live on channel 21 or online at seattlechannel.org. Nothing new you hadn’t heard of before, but SDOT notes they currently have 25 of their 30 snow/ice/deice etc. trucks out, and they reiterate they are not clearing/deicing residential-only streets. SDOT official notes dryly, “We are the second hilliest city in the nation after San Francisco.” P.S. The snow here stopped almost the moment the “winter storm warning” came in.
11:11 AM UPDATE: And … the snow’s back. Pretty good shower (?) right now. Meantime, thanks to Sully for a photo from Westwood Village:
Sully also reports, “Parking lot looked really good. Rt. 21 snow shuttle running south of Roxbury, Arbor Heights loop.”
12:15 PM: We’ll be starting the afternoon story shortly – latest info will be there. (Update – here’s the link.)
(Our afternoon snow coverage, with video, is here; this update will stay atop the home page through the night, with newer stories published beneath it for now)
As originally noted toward the end of our morning/afternoon weather coverage, Metro is going to start the day with buses on snow routes in all areas, just because the forecast is dicey and this kind of decision can’t be made at the last minute. Sound Transit also has made some changes: Route 560 will not stop at Alaska/California, but will pick up at 44th/Alaska instead. And from SDOT via Facebook:
Several SDOT trucks pre-treated snow routes in the late afternoon. Several more with pre-treat this evening. Standing by on whatever this storm delivers.
As for the weather – the evening forecast update isn’t out yet; the one suggesting snow and gusty winds tomorrow is still in effect. (But famous forecaster Cliff Mass has just published an update; he insists no Seattle snow.) We’ll add more information as it comes in tonight, and we’ll be up early to report here on what actually happens – or doesn’t happen – weather- and traffic-wise.
| 30 COMMENTS