(11 PM TOPLINE: Trouble reported on many West Seattle hills; stalled buses reported, and Metro says all buses are on snow routes. Forecast still says this will switch to rain before you wake up tomorrow. Scroll down for newest info/pictures)
(Refresh for latest images: From left, ‘Walking on Logs’ area, WS Bridge east of 35th, west entrance ‘low bridge’)
8:08 PM: About half an inch of snow on the ground – and on cars (our unscientific measurement above) – in The Junction, where we just left a meeting:
By all accounts, including Facebook and Twitter, it’s snowing pretty much everywhere in West Seattle. En route back to HQ. Bill reports he just saw a salt truck go by at Marine View and 102nd. Keep the snow reports coming!
8:18 PM: Heading slowly southbound on California SW. Now south of The Junction – it’s sticking, albeit lightly and quite driveably so far, on California. The snow is still steady, but not falling that heavily.
8:34 PM: Made it back to HQ. Going up the California SW hill south of Morgan Junction was fine – as long as you drive slowly – the usual snow advice for hills. Meantime, Richard e-mails to say that even by the water, Brace Point area, there’s up to about half an inch on the ground. From High Point, Jennifer tweeted this photo of her dogs out in the snow (Jessie and JoJo):
From Puget Ridge via Facebook, Christina says about an inch of snow has fallen:
No recent forecast updates, but within an hour or so we should hear what the National Weather Service thinks about the prospects this will progress the way most had predicted, with rain arriving overnight.
9:07 PM UPDATE: Added traffic cameras at the top of this item – and a photo immediately above, looking down at Jefferson Square entrance on 42nd, via Twitter from Cindy. Also getting an update on Junction conditions, from Christopher Boffoli: “1-2 inches on the ground here now. No evidence this section of Cali has been salted. People fishtailing and spinning out. Traffic is actually pretty heavy too. Every bus I’ve seen has had chains. They seem to be OK.” That coincides with an advisory just in from SDOT, saying they’re “transitioning to plowing roads.” Also a note from our snow-country-raised co-publisher, who’s heading uphill from lower Fauntleroy: This is “dry” snow.
9:26 PM UPDATE: Co-publisher reports people stuck and spinning out on the California SW hill south of Morgan Junction (as does Kae via comments) and sent this photo:
We also have a report of bus trouble – two of them – on SW Barton in Westwood/Roxhill area – thanks to Dana for this view:
9:49 PM UPDATE: More photos coming in. First, Trick caught this screen grab from one of the SDOT cameras we have “live” atop this story – the “Walking on Logs” spot alongside the southwestbound Fauntleroy end of the West Seattle Bridge – he points out the salt/sand truck!
And from Charles, a look along Avalon, toward SW Yancy (and WSB sponsor Stor-More) on the east side of the street:
Meantime, via Twitter, @reallowvibe warns that the Admiral hill is trouble now too. Again, just about every hill should be avoided right now, unless you happen to have seen a plow. It’s still snowing steadily out there, and the wind direction has not changed in the direction that would portend this ending any time soon. And from Cindi on the SW Morgan hill between 35th SW and Morgan Junction – “From the top of the hill, I’ve already seen cars going down have serious problems, it’s very slick. A police car was spinning his wheels going up – that was about an hour ago.”
10 PM UPDATE: Metro says all buses are now on snow routes. National Weather Service still promises rain by the time you wake up tomorrow:
FORECAST IS FOR THE SNOW TO CHANGE TO RAIN DURING THE NIGHT AND NO CHANGES TO THAT IDEA. THE WHOLE PROCESS WAS A LITTLE SLOWER THAN EARLIER MODELS HAD IT…WITH A LATER ONSET TIME AND THEREFORE A LATER CHANGE OVER TIME. STILL…BY MORNING SNOW WILL HAVE CHANGED TO RAIN JUST ABOUT EVERYWHERE. THE ONLY EXCEPTION MIGHT BE THE WESTERN WHATCOM COUNTY ZONE…WHERE THERE IS A WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT MAINLY BECAUSE SNOW THERE WILL LAST THE LONGEST.
10:31 PM UPDATE: Two video clips in from WSB’ers – top, that’s Alex’s view of The Bridge from the west; next, a view from Fairmount:
Snowflakes are getting bigger here, which our resident snow expert says means the snow’s getting wetter – which would have to happen before the predicted turn-to-rain …
11 PM UPDATE: That photo from Keva shows a plow just south of The Junction. We’ve also heard about a plow sighting in the Alki area. Plus, another bus problem – the westbound 56 reported stalled atop the eastern Admiral Way hill, around 37th and Admiral.
11:25 PM UPDATE: Before the snow makes way for rain – there’s a fun photo – Laura Matheson says her kids Julia and Rebecca were ready to start building a snowman as of about 9 pm, with two inches by then on “High Point Hill.” Looking outside, we seem to have between 2″ and 3″ here in Upper Fauntleroy, but sleet is starting to creep in with the snow – you can hear the precipitation now, and pure snow is usually fairly quiet. But we all saw some, even Beach Drive, where Linda Ann took this photo:
The major concern we’ll be watching for the morning commute … how fast will this all wash away? SDOT’s been working hard on the West Seattle Bridge, so even if there’s still snow around your house, there’s some hope the major commute routes will be OK in the morning.
12:47 AM: We’ll be starting an overnight report shortly, to cover the hours till the morning commute. Meantime, lots of plow and sander activity here by headquarters – have heard the trucks go by numerous times. And a few more photos to share – thanks to SA for Alki’s Lady Liberty, the frosted version, above. (added) We caught one of the plows westbound on Thistle to northbound California; it continued to work California, back and forth, even the non-arterial section south of California, for a while thereafter:
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