(SCHOOLS: Friday changes are here)
(SDOT MAP with travel times / WS-relevant traffic cams / Water Taxi schedule HERE)
5:01 AM: Good morning. Updates:
FORECAST: Snow still expected to start around noon. Possibly 6″-8″ here. (added) Flurries/showers are starting earlier.
BUSES: As announced last night (updated 9:04 am):
Route 37 – Canceled today
Route 125 – Canceled today
Route 55 – 6:31 am, 6:48 am, 7:30 am, 8:34 am canceled
Route 56 – 6:43 am, 7:33 am, 8:41 am canceled
Route 57 – 7:20 am canceled
Route 116 – 6:33 am, 7:13 am, 8:00 am canceled
Snow routes – Starting 2 pm
We’ll update that list if anything more is added.
5:56 AM: First incident of the morning. Shortly after a text reporting “green flashes,” SFD has dispatched to a report of wires down in SB lanes of East Marginal/Spokane, possibly hit/snagged by passing semitruck.
6:04 AM: This is blocking East Marginal at Nevada, south of Spokane. [map]
6:22 AM: Northbound traffic is being stopped at E. Marginal/Hudson, per radio communication.
6:55 AM: First reports of flurries (thank you!). (Photo added – from Ben in Highland Park, new snow atop car:)
But the NWS says this is NOT the main event – that’s still not expected to start until noon.
7:19 AM: Some school changes still coming in – we’re continuing to update the Friday list here.
7:42 AM: East Marginal closure continues, just in case you’re wondering. Could continue another hour-plus.
8:10 AM: Lines at Junction True Value, as reported by a shopper. And empty shelves at more than one supermarket. Continued reports of flurries but barely visible through our window, so getting around is still OK.
8:38 AM: East Marginal remains closed (SDOT image above); also, Metro has rerouted Routes 113, 121, 122, 123, and 154 off East Marginal. That’s still the only area incident of note this morning. The snow flurries are still very light, and forecasters continue saying the start of the main snow event remains a few hours away.
8:56 AM: Metro just sent a retroactive alert that three Route 116 trips did not run this morning. Adding to the list above. … Our plan is to continue updating this report until the expected snow starts in earnest, plus we’ll be publishing some other (non-storm) stories we’re working on; when the “real” snow arrives, we’ll start a new storm report. Thanks yet again to everyone who’s helping keep West Seattle neighbors informed by sharing info/pics – 206-293-6302 text or voice is great and so is westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
9:36 AM: Still adding to the school-changes list. … Alice Enevoldsen (trivia point: 10 years ago, before there was an SDOT winter-weather-response map, there was Alice!) reports that TrueValue is now out of de-icer and shovels, and that she saw a bus go by with “Snowmageddon” written in the dirt on its window … Yes, the East Marginal closure continues.
11:20 AM: We just went out for a bit, quick look around before the storm. City/county/state authorities are having a briefing right now – watch it live here. New SDOT director Sam Zimbabwe just warned that they “plow to the right” so if you are parked along a “green or gold route” – your vehicle might get a little swamped.
11:47 AM: We’ve been watching that briefing and will add the embedded video when it’s over and available. (Added: Here it is)
Meantime, one thing of note – SPU general manager Mami Hara said they’re still on the one-day-delayed solid-waste pickup plan BUT if things worsen as forecast, all bets are off. … Metro said it hasn’t finalized the “emergency snow network” plan yet but they ARE still going ahead with chaining coaches: “We have outstanding mechanics who can put chains on pretty damn quick!”
12:17 PM: The snow has begun – we’ve started the afternoon update here.
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