West Seattle snow: Sunday morning updates and photos

(SCROLL DOWN for updates including lists of what’s on/off, plus infolinks. Photos? editor@westseattleblog.com – thanks!)

(Live West Seattle Bridge view via SDOT)
Launching Sunday morning coverage. For starters –

INFOLINKS
*Metro buses remain on snow routes
*See where the city’s plowed/salted/de-iced recently on this map
*See West Seattle/vicinity traffic cams here
*See King County’s White Center traffic cams here
*See Saturday night coverage here; added photo gallery here

HAPPENING AS SCHEDULED/OPEN
*Hiawatha Pancake Breakfast, 8 am-noon – details here (see photo below!)
*West Seattle Ultimate Family Frisbee, per FB
*WestSide Baby Tea (2 pm at SeaTac Hilton; co-sponsored by WSB)
*West Seattle Farmers’ Market (10 am-2 pm; Jason reports setup is under way as of 8:24 am)
*Little Pilgrim School open house (11 am-1:30 pm)
*Quadrato open 11-8, Pizzeria 22 open at 4, as usual, per note from proprietor Cary

CLOSED/CANCELED (we’ll update this list as we get reports)
*West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor) group run
*Salty’s on Alki (WSB sponsor) is closed for brunch but expects to be open by 4 pm happy hour, 4:30 dinner
*Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation service/morning events are canceled
*Peace Lutheran Church morning worship/education canceled
*Center for Movement & Healing has canceled 10 am Nia, 11:30 am Feldenkrais

We are checking on status of today’s events – PLEASE let us know, if you’re involved with one, whether it’s on OR off – editor@westseattleblog.com is the best way to reach us. More to come.

7:51 AM: In Highland Park, SW Kenyon is blocked on the hill between 9th and 5th – we are hearing that on the scanner AND just received this photo:

8:05 AM: Hiawatha Pancake Breakfast is *on*, per comments. (added) So is the WestSide Baby Tea. Keep checking the lists atop this story for other notes on what is ON, or off – we’ll be continuing to update as we get info.

8:50 AM: Subtle signs of melting snow … clumps falling off branches; drips heard in storm drains and downspouts. Clear your nearest storm drain if you can. Forecast says we MIGHT see flurries, but otherwise the warming will continue and the temperature could get into the low 40s. Monitoring the scanner, we hear police dealing with the aftermath of last night – cars blocking side streets where they slid, etc. Some hills remain closed – like SW Thistle between 35th and 37th, reports Pastor Erik Kindem from Peace Lutheran Church at 39th/Thistle in his note announcing they’re canceling morning worship/education today.

9:24 AM: From Christopher Boffoli, checking out the Hiawatha Community Center pancake breakfast for WSB:

It’s on until noon – so you have plenty of time to go have good food and good times for a good cause. Christopher also has a road report: “Some arterials are clear to wet pavement. But long stretches of California are unplowed and slushy. Some side streets are either slush or packed snow. Very slick. Hills like Oregon from Cali to the Junction are open but untreated. People are driving too fast and not leaving enough room.” (Minutes later …) And if you have to go to the airport, @nancybooks tweeted this:

@westseattleblog Auburn to SeaTac airport all good via 167/405/518. Normal speed limits, no issues. Just dicey until main roads.

— Nancy (@nancybooks) February 9, 2014

10:08 AM: Of course, it’s not all about roads. Take time to have fun, too. As is the main order of business for Joe‘s son JJ in Arbor Heights:

And this family in Admiral:

That’s one of several more photos just in from Christopher Boffoli, out and about for WSB – he noted this alternate mode of transportation:

Also from Christopher – the Farmers’ Market is indeed open for business at 44th/Alaska, until 2 pm:

And here’s his view of California SW in south Admiral:

10:46 AM: Seeing people walking along our street with sleds in tow – any safe sledding hills to recommend? Shari wonders on the WSB Facebook page. Meantime, Super Bowl memories live on in the snow at Alki – Erika sent this photo of the “Snow Lombardi Trophy”:

And an epic snowperson from T-Bone:

11:25 AM: The meltdown continues. Side streets are slushy, main roads bare and wet, clumps of wet snow keep falling off the trees/shrubs. Major event update – If you’re going to the WestSide Baby Tea (we are, and this year WSB is a co-sponsor), should be no problem getting there, says WS Baby’s Nancy Woodland:

WestSide Baby’s Annual Benefit Tea is still happening this afternoon. We are looking forward to seeing everyone! All of our staff and volunteers have made it here without incident as arterials are just fine and side streets are melting. A little snow should not keep us from helping local families in need and it will not likely be fun snow play time when the rain hits shortly as predicted.

Today 2-4:30 Hilton Seattle Airport and Conference Center 17620 International Blvd. [map]

We ARE opening up tickets for 30 extra seats for those who want to walk in! We’d love to have you and share a bit of WestSide Baby with you this afternoon. Just come and we’ll get you all signed up here. Tickets are $40.

We hope to see you this afternoon!!

Next up – a few other stories, a new gallery, then a p.m. post-snow update at some point.

Andrea February 9, 2014 (7:42 am)

Hiawatha pancake breakfast and basketball pictures… Any word?

Robert February 9, 2014 (7:43 am)

it snowed so hard last-night my yard alarm kept going off not one of the usual seattle snows.

Friend O'Dinghus February 9, 2014 (7:46 am)

And here I was expecting six inches or more last night, then only got three. Story of my life.

Neighbor February 9, 2014 (7:47 am)

Who is open for coffee? Is Bird on wire?

Sybil February 9, 2014 (7:59 am)

Wondering if the kids’ basketball games at High Point CC are still on?

Brynn's mom February 9, 2014 (8:02 am)

Hiawatha says the pancake fest is on. Just called them a moment ago.

WSB February 9, 2014 (8:04 am)

Thanks – I called them 15 minutes ago and got no answer. Again, ANY AND ALL STATUS UPDATES, ON *OR* OFF, appreciated.

Scooterista February 9, 2014 (8:09 am)

Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation has cancelled the church service this morning. All afternoon and evening events are still happening, however. I’ll send word if that changes.

WSB February 9, 2014 (8:17 am)

Thanks!

Kristen February 9, 2014 (8:22 am)

Just called Hiawatha – yes the Pancake Breakfast is on from 8am-12pm today.

BJ February 9, 2014 (8:23 am)

Is the Y open?

Neighbor February 9, 2014 (8:26 am)

Damn. So wanted to go to church and thank someone for the snow and pray for more tomorrow. ;)

Krista February 9, 2014 (8:42 am)

Ladro is open

michael ford February 9, 2014 (8:47 am)

last night the c line i was on as well as 2 others were all stuck in the snow at 35th and avalon because none of the buses had chains on. all of the c line drivers were tell the riders that metro had some kind of a shuttle bus going to the ferry and that the c line was only going to the west seattle jct. so all of us from all 3 c lines walked to the west seattle jct only to find out we had been lied to by metro and the c line drivers. the rt 128 driver called the base and the base stated there was no such bus and that driver drove off going to admiral leaving all of us to walk to the morgan jct and those that needed to get to the ferry to walk to the ferry. just sad is all i can say. as this is basiclly the samething that happenned last time we got a good amount of snow.

Smokeycretin9 February 9, 2014 (8:50 am)

Roxbury has been plowed and treated. Looks like traffic is flowing normal. have not been outside yet though.

BookGal February 9, 2014 (9:22 am)

Noticed on the map of plowed / de-iced roads that West Seattle has been pretty much ignored (again).

Now we have proof that the Rapid Line buses, being articulated, are ineffectual during snow and/or ice.

Kudos to all those folks who had/have to go to work to make coffee, cook, serve food, sell product, drive the buses, plow/de-ice the roads, keep us safe, etc.

If you think you need to be out driving – GO SLOW.

aimee February 9, 2014 (9:28 am)

Any great safe hills/ places to sledding w kiddos?

Julie February 9, 2014 (9:33 am)

Last night several dozen people were stranded outside in the below freezing temperatures waiting over 2.5 hours for a single Rapid Ride back to West Seattle from downtown. There was nowhere to take shelter. About a dozen empty empty rapid ride buses heading back to the transit center passed by in that time and just kept telling us “another bus would be there soon.” All of the cab companies were busy or not running for the entire 2.5 hours. By the time the rapid ride came, the 50 and 128 were no longer running so we had to walk two miles home in the snow. Attempted to leave downtown at 11:30 and didn’t arrive home until after 3 a.m. The city could not even offer a bus for people to sit on and warm up in and many people were reporting their extremities going numb from the cold. Finally a very kind bus driver named Gregory offered up his bus for people to wait in and the RR came shortly after. I’ve woken up today with a fever and a sore throat.

sna February 9, 2014 (9:39 am)

I had to laugh at the Seattle DOT tweet this morning recommending people take transit if they need to travel. Taking the bus seems to be a total gamble when it snows between waiting for hours in the cold or getting stuck. I remember it taking 7 hours to get home from downtown to West Seattle a few years ago.

CBurns February 9, 2014 (9:43 am)

That couple blocks of Thistle that I see now are closed is exactly the portion we tried getting up last night around 9:30 — seemed a better bet than our own street, Rose. Made it about halfway, thankfully no crashing as we skidded and parked safely on a side street. The last couple blocks to our house are always the toughest in this white stuff.

CBurns February 9, 2014 (10:00 am)

P.S. Looks like many of the main arterials are looking clear, just wet, but our hilltop side street I think looks dicey. Have any tried navigating sides in that Highland Park area, Southern, Elmgrove, Rose, etc? Curious about morning conditions relative to trying to get somewhere later…..

CandrewB February 9, 2014 (10:05 am)

Every time there is snow, Metro turns into a basket case. It is as sure as death and taxes. The worst advice you can give is to take transit.

Admiral Janeway February 9, 2014 (10:08 am)

The Farmer’s Market looked 75% full when I walked by at 9:00.
I saw families sledding in the Madison Middle School playground.

Kgdlg February 9, 2014 (10:48 am)

Just left WS for Shoreline and no problems. Just go slow on side roads. The bus comment brought me back to the Nickels snowmagedden when it took me 8 hours to bus and walk to work on cap hill. Dreadful.

sam-c February 9, 2014 (10:54 am)

thank you for posting the links to the SDOT plowed/ salted routes. it is interesting that they don’t seem to be coordinated with the street closures. for example, Sylvan way was listed as plowed, it looked perfectly fine, but it was blocked off by snow closure signs. on the other hand, across Delridge, from Sylvan (basically an extension of the same road), Orchard is covered, icy, but still manageable w/ 4WD. unfortunately, that’s the only way out of Puget ridge…. and it is blocked off w/ street closure signs.

and certainly, Oregon/22nd/21st Dawson is not going to be any better than Orchard and it’s much steeper. will police ticket you for going around street closure signs? even if they’ve closed all the streets out of your neighborhood?

WSB February 9, 2014 (11:10 am)

Sam, good point, the map is certainly not the complete guide to everything, which is why we SO appreciate people continuing to share firsthand reports. I think the city is still working out the bugs – this might be the most snow we’ve had since they created the map a few years ago. Back in the 2008 two-week snow blitz, Alice Enevoldsen of “Skies Over West Seattle”/Alice’s Astro Info fame volunteered to make Google Maps based on what people were reporting – as we were reminiscing last night on Twitter… check it out at 12:31 am on this archive story: https://westseattleblog.com/2008/12/west-seattle-snow-continues-saturday-night-updates/

sam-c February 9, 2014 (11:23 am)

oh, I think the maps are right, and very helpful, but they haven’t bothered to move the street closure signs after they cleared the road. (at least in Sylvan’s case.)

oh, and just inconsistent signage overall. for example (at 8:00 am), holden did not have any street closure signs at Delridge, but there were some street closure signs on Holden at 35th. and some guy near Holden / 35th was shoveling and waved and smiled at us with this smile that sad “hey- dumb-%#%%, don’t you know you’re driving on a closed road?”
well, it wasn’t closed at Delridge and we made it fine.

CBurns February 9, 2014 (12:16 pm)

Just walked over to that 35th-to-37th portion of Thistle and folks seem to be going up and down that section just fine, ignoring the “snow closure” sign at 37th. Nice to see traffic seems to be flowing no problem on 35th.

flipjack February 9, 2014 (12:33 pm)

To Brake Safely Down Snow covered streets SHIFT DOWN IN TO LOW GEAR and let the engine do the slowing…..DO NOT USE YOUR BREAKS ON SNOW and ICE
If Your Wheels Lock Up ie by using your breaks, You Have NO CONTROL. SHIFT In LOW GEAR and Lightly use breaks sparingly AND COUNTER STEER AS NEEDED,
HOPE THAT MAKES SENSE! Just to say”SLOW DOWN” is not good advice because people think that means USE BREAKS.

al February 9, 2014 (1:22 pm)

The ymca. Is open. Hot tubs felt great

OrigJLO February 9, 2014 (4:38 pm)

I was one of those stranded downtown waiting a RapidRide. The electronic signs kept stating a C was coming. Asking other operators if they were going to West Seattle, they only replied no. One would think that they would share the information that they *must* have received from base about no operations. Or did Base not tell the operators what was going on either? Finally, I was going to take a 21 and walk a couple miles home. That bus never arrived either. At that time it was apparent that no bus would be going to West Seattle. I walked around for blocks, with a bag of groceries, trying to hail different cars/cabs. None would go to West Seattle. I did make it home by virtue of a wonderful friend with an SUV (we had no problems on the road). Now, I don’t fault Metro for bringing buses back to base to get chains. That makes sense. But NO buses came through with chains in the 2.5 hours I was there.
And Metro: there are alternative routes you could have used to get us at least to West Seattle to walk to the other shuttles that were operating. Not all riders have smartphones, too! Keep that in mind. We cannot all know what decisions you are making. But your operators CAN let the huge gathering of passengers, asking you about trips to a particular section of the city, know that no ride would be coming, so at least we could try to find someplace to sit in warmth until morning.

Todd February 9, 2014 (6:56 pm)

Went for dinner at quadrato about 5:30 and it is actually not open.

WSB February 9, 2014 (8:17 pm)

Sorry, Todd, I just checked again and that’s what Cary Kemp said in his note to us this morning (the only restaurateur who contacted us to announce OPEN!) – 11 am to 8 pm. Apologies, but we’re only as good as the info we get … TR

Sorry, comment time is over.