West Seattle Weather Watch: Seeing some snow

(AFTERNON SNOW COVERAGE UPDATES ARE HERE)

(Photo by Machel Spence. Yours welcome – editor@westseattleblog.com)
7:16 AM: Had almost written it off, but here it is in Upper Fauntleroy. You?

8:31 AM: After a pause – it’s flurrying again. Even up here around 350 feet, it’s just on the rooftops and cartops – so far. The National Weather Service issued a “Winter Weather Advisory” a short time ago, in effect till 10 pm (see it here), which says eventual accumulations up to 3 inches are possible. You can watch for other signs of impending snow via the Snow Watch maps.

10:24 AM: Off-on flurries/showers continue. Photo above is from one that was fast and furious – for about two minutes.

10:34 AM: Just in from SDOT, this overview:

Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) Street Maintenance crews spent the night applying deicer and anti-icer to major arterials, elevated roadways and bridges, and known trouble spots along the snow route network. Despite an early morning snowfall, thus far, the roads south of the ship canal are bare and wet and are also in relatively good shape in the northwest sector of the city. Nevertheless, crews are patrollng those areas applying anti-icer where necessary. The morning snowfall primarily accumulated on streets, and especially hills, in the northeast section of the city – east of Aurora. SDOT trucks are applying anti-icer, deicer, and also plowing the snow where needed. SDOT’s Street Maintenance crews will be working throughout the day to ensure safe driving conditions on the city’s key roadways, particularly on routes used by buses and emergency response vehicles. Motorists are advised to use added caution and be watchful for black ice.

11:35 AM: Serious snow in The Junction. Road is coated.

76 Replies to "West Seattle Weather Watch: Seeing some snow"

  • CI January 15, 2012 (7:21 am)

    Snow at SW library. Henderson &. 35th

  • Kathy January 15, 2012 (7:22 am)

    Snowing near the Junction. Big flakes coming down right now.

  • Bob January 15, 2012 (7:25 am)

    Snow on Fauntleroy by Kenny home.

  • Pat January 15, 2012 (7:25 am)

    Snowing very lightly. Started about 7:10 just east of the Westwood Shopping Center.

  • miws January 15, 2012 (7:27 am)

    O/T, but isn’t this the shortest article ever on WSB? :-)

    .

    Mike

  • HSG January 15, 2012 (7:28 am)

    It’s snowing here by SSCC, too.

  • elma January 15, 2012 (7:29 am)

    Snowing just south of Morgan Junction.

  • Kjb January 15, 2012 (7:30 am)

    snowing north Delridge

  • T January 15, 2012 (7:32 am)

    Light dusting on Pigeon Point!

  • Sue January 15, 2012 (7:35 am)

    Snowing just south of the triangle. Was lying in bed, looked out and saw gigantic wet-looking flakes come down. Gave it the finger and rolled over in bed to not see it :)

  • Rhonda January 15, 2012 (7:39 am)

    Not snowing yet on beach. Is it safe to drive up the hills?

  • kate January 15, 2012 (7:41 am)

    We don’t even have frost here in Seaview. The water in the bird baths isn’t frozen either.

  • HelperMonkey January 15, 2012 (7:43 am)

    we’ve got a dusting in Arbor Heights. seems to have stopped now.

  • ta January 15, 2012 (7:44 am)

    we have a light dusting in Arbor Heights. It had stopped, but now seems to be starting up again.

  • deb January 15, 2012 (7:46 am)

    none at 45th and Wildwood….keep it that way please…

  • Aman January 15, 2012 (7:54 am)

    Snowing in North Admiral!

  • Steph January 15, 2012 (7:56 am)

    Just a dusting up by the water towers at 36th and Othello. Hoping for more to come. Not enough yet to even cover everything and make for pretty pictures.

  • TDe January 15, 2012 (7:57 am)

    Snowing behind the Alaska Junction.

  • CathyGibson January 15, 2012 (7:59 am)

    Gentle snowfall near Holy Rosary church.

  • haha January 15, 2012 (8:00 am)

    Snow has come and gone in Pigeon Point. Well actually it’s back again.

  • miws January 15, 2012 (8:01 am)

    Sue’s comment FTW!

    .

    Mike

  • jedifarfy January 15, 2012 (8:03 am)

    Woke up early for plans only to have SNOW happen. Some falling and slightly sticking in Highland Park.

  • Valerie January 15, 2012 (8:06 am)

    Can’t see a single flake here (near the SW Precinct station). Can’t actually see the Precinct though… ;^)

  • Sue January 15, 2012 (8:11 am)

    LOL, Mike. Apparently it wasn’t afraid of me and my bad attitude as it’s sticking to grass and roofs. After spending the past 13 weeks recovering from a very bad knee injury, I’m just not liking the concept of anything that can potentially make me less stable as I walk around.
    .
    I do have to say, the way the light is hitting it from where I’m sitting, it looks like silvery glitter coming down. It’s very pretty. NOW go away. :)

  • Pat January 15, 2012 (8:12 am)

    Are the streets slippery – as in are the hills safe to drive on?

    • WSB January 15, 2012 (8:52 am)

      Pat – re: the streets: Haven’t driven yet, but haven’t heard of problems either … The de-icer trucks were out again last night; I had to make a run to Capitol Hill at 10 pm and saw their tracks all across the bridge, as well as on the path UP Capitol Hill along Denny – SDOT had promised to stay vigilant. – TR

  • ScottA January 15, 2012 (8:13 am)

    Snowing downtown! Trees, rooftops and parked cars are turning white.

  • LAP January 15, 2012 (8:15 am)

    Westwood Village….just started 3 mins ago.

  • David Delgado January 15, 2012 (8:16 am)

    Snow coming down in Admiral area

  • Pat January 15, 2012 (8:25 am)

    Pretty heavy shower. Started to stick to everything. Good morning to stay home.

  • Valerie January 15, 2012 (8:26 am)

    I take back what I said. Falling here now.

  • bsmomma January 15, 2012 (8:28 am)

    On and off in North Admiral. Nothing right now. :( Bring it on Mother Nature!!!!!!

  • Jon in Gatewood January 15, 2012 (8:29 am)

    I’m on the south end of Vashon right now. It had stopped, but here come the fat flurries again. And looking down the shore toward Tacoma, it seems like it’s coming down pretty good there, too. So more coming your way in West Seattle, I think.

  • Stina January 15, 2012 (8:30 am)

    It’s snowing on and off down here in Shorewood. It’s not sticking yet.

  • Dave Craig January 15, 2012 (8:45 am)

    Some flakes falling just south of Morgan Junction.

  • misty January 15, 2012 (8:45 am)

    Snowing near Jefferson Square!

  • mrsB January 15, 2012 (8:45 am)

    Just got up to snow in Alki, no, wait a moment, it’s stopped!

  • Norah January 15, 2012 (8:51 am)

    Snow on the rooftops near the West Seattle Bridge.

  • Seolaloop January 15, 2012 (8:52 am)

    Smaller type flakes coming down in Arbor Heights but not sticking. YEAH!!! Wait now they’re huge. Sorry Sue! And now…. yes..they’ve stopped. Jeez! Uh I think its actually raining…I’m so confused!!

  • Seolaloop January 15, 2012 (8:54 am)

    Ah HAIL!! I understand now. Mother natiureis setting up black ice. Awesome.

  • douglas January 15, 2012 (8:56 am)

    Very light snow on the west side of the sound, but can’t see Blake Island or Lincoln Park as we normally can, so looks like it’s coming down over the sound right now

  • hopey January 15, 2012 (9:02 am)

    The SDOT Winter Weather map ( http://web1.seattle.gov/sdot/winterweathermap/ ) doesn’t seem to be working properly. It won’t load right in Firefox. It loads everything using IE, but doesn’t show any actual data. It seems to work using Chrome. However, I’m finding it a little hard to believe that Admiral Hill is the only place in WS to receive de-icing solution in the past 12 hours, and that they applied it more than 3 hours ago.
    .
    If the data is correct, then… WTG Mayor McCheese! :P

  • sam-c January 15, 2012 (9:20 am)

    this snow is so sad. while I didn’t want to start the week with snow traffic issues, I wanted to play in snow today!! the streets are bare in puget ridge and it is not snowing… come on snow!

  • Snow in highland park January 15, 2012 (9:28 am)

    Flurries in highland park. Is bird on a wire open?

  • WSB January 15, 2012 (10:33 am)

    No closures anywhere that we’ve heard of. Farmers’ Market open. Even the golf course is open. – TR

  • Naomi January 15, 2012 (10:53 am)

    Just drove over West Seattle bridge and on 1-5N. Road conditions are wet but not icy. Traffic’s good and cars are moving.

  • petert January 15, 2012 (11:07 am)

    Just started coming down again over the 5900 block of Beach Drive. Large, heavy flakes.

  • Jwws January 15, 2012 (11:12 am)

    Starting to stick on the ground on Genesee Hill!

  • Jamie January 15, 2012 (11:18 am)

    No snow at all just east of the Junction. Anyone know if/when they would close the west Seattle bridge? Have a friend coming down from Fremont to spend the day with me and we’re trying to decide if it’s worth driving out there. If the bridge usually closes in situations like this I may tell her just to stay home.

  • MegJunction January 15, 2012 (11:21 am)

    Suddenly snowing heavily – and sticking everywhere! – in the Junction…

  • Steph January 15, 2012 (11:28 am)

    And then it stopped . . .

  • JanS January 15, 2012 (11:29 am)

    snowing to beat the band in Admiral District…streets, sidewalks, trees all covered…

  • andrea January 15, 2012 (11:33 am)

    We’re on Genesse Hill, off of Charlestown, and it is snowing very heavy up here. Thick, fluffy flakes. At least a good inch or so thus far and still coming down. Yippee!!

  • Erik January 15, 2012 (11:36 am)

    Alki is covered!

  • me on 28th Ave SW January 15, 2012 (11:40 am)

    @Jamie
    It is pretty rare for the high level bridge to be closed. I just drove to Costco and back and it was just fine. We saw a snowplow going over the bridge; something tells me that the city is watching both the West Seattle bridge and viaduct like hawks. I also noticed that depending on the block it was either snowing heavily or nothing at all!

  • Snowflake January 15, 2012 (11:48 am)

    Just drove WHite center to Ballard, it was snowy but roads are fine. If you grew up driving in snow, you’ll be fine, the rest of you stay home!

  • Jamie January 15, 2012 (11:49 am)

    @Me on 28th. Thanks so much! :-) I’ve only been in WS for two years (a Queen Anne transplant, lol), and just moved up to the Junction from Arbor Heights, so still trying to get used to how everything works around here. I appreciate the information so much!

  • liz January 15, 2012 (11:54 am)

    In the Junction now, and it’s still coming down, but curious if anyone’s been on the road in the last 20 minutes or so? How are they? Planning a trip to Capitol Hill in about an hour, but wondering if I should hold off?

  • transplantella January 15, 2012 (11:57 am)

    A very pretty snowfall coming down now Lowman Beach area.

    But the ground here is not cold. It won’t stick.

  • RC January 15, 2012 (11:57 am)

    Snowing hard at North end of North Admiral with almost an inch accumulation on all exposed surfaces – almost time to break out the sleds! California Ave is covered and now there are very few cars to watch sledding down the hill.

  • gspice January 15, 2012 (12:00 pm)

    It’s really coming down in the admiral…

  • AK January 15, 2012 (12:03 pm)

    Just came home to the Westwood area from Admiral…night and day difference! All the streets are white in the north end of WS. I saw 2 cars heading north on 35th, slide off the street into trees and or cars. Many were having trouble climbing the hill heading south on 35th from Alaska. That little stretch of 35th is very slippery! Heading south on 35th the snow disappears well before High Point Library. I’m sure it is taking everyone heading north by surprise.

  • K M January 15, 2012 (12:05 pm)

    Nothing in Arbor Heights and we’re mad! Is AH the West Seattle banana belt?

  • aaron h January 15, 2012 (12:15 pm)

    it snowing here on walnut and hinds sw so nice oh i have my scanner on and it sound like james st downtown is closed

  • Spamela January 15, 2012 (12:15 pm)

    Between 11 and 11:30 when I was at PCC in Admiral, it went from nothing on the ground to about 1 inch! Going back to Gatewood hill was slow all the way til the Morgan Junction. Then the roads clear. (I wasn’t sure I would make it up the hill before I saw the roads were fine.) snowing more on high point now, roads still ok here. It was way worse in Admiral.

  • Steve January 15, 2012 (12:17 pm)

    Looking nice and white on alki. Sleds coming out.

  • hopey January 15, 2012 (12:21 pm)

    I can hear lots of kids sledding and having other snow fun at Madison Middle School. Just cleared about 1-1/2″ from my sidewalk and it’s still coming down in big, wet flakes.
    .
    The city’s Winter Weather Map seems to be functioning better also. Plows with salt spreaders have been on the WS Bridge within the last hour.

  • saney January 15, 2012 (12:21 pm)

    Snowing like crazy near WSHS. Traffic is bumper to bumper on California. Where is everyone going???

  • bsmomma January 15, 2012 (12:25 pm)

    This is awesome. :)

  • JR January 15, 2012 (12:27 pm)

    Around noon, going uphill on Admiral, stalled BMW on off ramp from bridge to Admiral, stalled Mercedes uphill and parked Metro half way up the hill. A plow would be nice.

  • saney January 15, 2012 (12:27 pm)

    Just saw the 56 bus heading south on California. Doesn’t that usually go down admiral.

  • hopey January 15, 2012 (12:31 pm)

    Metro’s site says “All routes are on reroute.” Here is a link to a map of the snow route for the 56 bus: http://metro.kingcounty.gov/cftemplates/show_map.cfm?BUS_ROUTE=056&DAY_NAV=WSU
    Note that it’s using the low bridge (Spokane St) instead of the high bridge.

    • WSB January 15, 2012 (12:34 pm)

      Please note – we have started an afternoon snow story – please bring comments and updates there – I am adding photos there too:
      .
      https://westseattleblog.com/?p=97803

  • MegJunction January 15, 2012 (12:33 pm)

    Boyfriend just came over the bridge – said it was mostly fine with plows out. Keep on keeping it clear, SDOT…

  • Admiral Janeway January 15, 2012 (12:33 pm)

    Going up Admiral Way from the bridge is now single file.

  • hopey January 15, 2012 (12:36 pm)

    TR beat me to it. :)

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