UPDATE: Icy West Seattle streets to avoid

9:32 PM: We’re now down into the 20s, and even without more snow (yet), ice is a major road danger and we’re getting some reader reports. First, Rosalie Miller – who usually contributes nature photos – has sent a different kind of photo tonight:

That’s both a street report and a reminder that it’s a good night to stay off the streets if you possibly can. Rosalie says she spun out, and as a result …

Our car is stuck perpendicular to the road on Southwest Stevens Street between 37th and 36th Ave Southwest. [map]

Efforts to move the car have been unsuccessful. There are two traffic cones placed on 37th.

I hope that people are not going to try to bypass those and head down Stevens. There is a steep slope and no traction.

I want to make sure that this information is available to anyone driving tonight or tomorrow.

A tow truck will not be able to get out until sometime tomorrow morning at the earliest.

We are trying to locate additional cones to place on the 36th Ave. Southwest / Stevens end of the street.

We have spoken with the police. They do not have any signage for us to use to close the street.

Just as we were about to publish Rosalie’s report, this came in via text:

Forest St. hill to Hiawatha park just across Fairmount Ave SW [map] is completely frozen over. Cars attempting to drive up sliding and stuck. Car currently stuck sideways down Fairmount after sliding backwards on Forest and spinning out before getting stuck.

Let us know if you have one to add to the list.

9:57 PM: Update from Rosalie – “With the assistance of a generous neighbor, we were able to get the car out. The road is still very unsafe. There are no traffic cones.”

Triangle resident December 21, 2022 (11:04 pm)

Avoid 37th Ave SW between Edmunds and Alaska! You won’t make it up the hill and coming down is how an American Express truck got to do it by sliding the entire way in reverse!

Kalo December 22, 2022 (6:48 am)

Sawdust/hamster bedding is a handy, lightweight, environmentally safe traction assistant. Sprinkle in front of tires to gain traction or on sidewalks to prevent slippage.

Rosalie Miller December 22, 2022 (9:22 am)

Thank you for this suggestion!
- Dan December 23, 2022 (4:17 pm)
  
  Cat litter, sand and gravel are also great.

DRW December 22, 2022 (8:44 am)

Hasn’t anybody gone down Genessee St by the golf course yet?!

Dave December 22, 2022 (9:07 am)

Where’s SDOT in all of this? Other cities at least try to make all of their streets passable; not here. They would rather put up sawhorses that say “street closed.” A seriously broken bureaucracy.

Laura Knudson December 22, 2022 (9:46 am)

Dave, Lived here my whole life. Seattle has NEVER plowed all roads … only main arterials. Weather is changing, we get snow more often now. Might have to change priorities for snow and ice.
- Robin M. Snyder December 22, 2022 (2:13 pm)
  
  Amen I agree! The second hilliest city in country and more snow. About 30 years ago we had 2 snow plows when Charlie Chong bought another 20? Don’t quote me. More population etc. Heard about complaints about airport de-icing etc. How do you do the incredible increase in population and increase in travel past 30 years and even more past 10 years. Again didn’t use to have snow and icing of planes as now.
Mark47n December 22, 2022 (4:22 pm)

A whole lot of hills around here are 8%-10%. I don’t think that plowing is sufficient, and it’s not like it’s safe for the plow, either. We end up with a lot of water ice, rather than compressed snow with a bit of water, which turns the hills into 9% skating rink. Physics is murder.
Susie Cuypers December 23, 2022 (10:16 am)

I now live in Lynden, Whatcom County on a semi-residential-rural street and 3 snowplows just came and plowed. We don’t have the steep hills here.

Mj December 22, 2022 (9:37 am)

Dave – I am no fan of SDoT, but the reality is that there are some arterials that from a liability viewpoint foist the street closures. Thus if an idiot driver does try to navigate a closed street unsuccessfully and gets hurt the City has some immunity from a lawsuit.

Frog December 22, 2022 (9:46 am)

In ancient times, I think they used to place DIY sand barrels or sand piles at the top of steep stretches. I remember seeing them in some places. Not sure if it was local homeowners, or the city. Perhaps no more.

Tracey December 22, 2022 (1:46 pm)

Yes, sometime in the last 17 years, there was sand at 30th and Holden. Haven’t seen it in a few years though. Your recollection is not too ancient.

Carol December 22, 2022 (9:47 am)

Cloverdale near the West Crest Dog Park created issues for many yesterday – including me! AAA could not tow my car because it was “not an emergency” so I guess we just wait for the ice to melt….yikes!

Lola December 22, 2022 (12:12 pm)

I have lived in WS my whole life and know most of the roads to stay away from when it snow’s. I even have a fairly flat snow route that I take to get to my house which is at the Bottom of Alaska St. and I can get to it from the junction without having to go down the hilly part. Are some of these people just trying to prove that they can go up and down Steep hills when it is snowy and Icy? I go out of my way to avoid anything with a hill and can navigate fairly easily if you stay on the main roads. I would say stay put if you do not have to go out.

Bobby December 24, 2022 (2:02 am)

To some degree, I totally believe this. Of all the streets to attempt to go up on black ice, you avoid the arterial on Alaska and 35th.

Juanita December 22, 2022 (2:27 pm)

I’m originally from the east coast, some of that time spent in Massachusetts. I don’t understand why cold weather is such a thing here. Try having to go to work when the wind chill is -12 and you have to dig yourself out of 6 inches of snow multiple times a week. Or worse, having to deal with an ice dam in your gutters that doesn’t melt until spring and creates a flood in your house as it melts. If its a financial resource issue, maybe its time to consider a state tax for WA in order to pay for equipment and personnel that can handle this. Weather patterns are changing, we have to change with them. Its neither safe nor sustainable to shut your city and services down because the roads are icy. Plow and salt ALL the roads. And on that note, please, please shovel and salt your sidewalks. So many are covered with a thin coating of ice, please salt before this freezing rain hits.

Mark47n December 22, 2022 (4:29 pm)

I grew up driving in the Rockies and Denver, to say nothing of riding motorcycles all winter. Driving in snow and nasty conditions is not new to me, in treacherous terrain.The problem here is that the roads don’t often get cold enough for snow to stick, so it melts. The air temp, though freezes that water solid, like a skating rink, and eventually the roads are cold enough to sustain the freeze. So, we end up with a 9% graded skating rink. To those that say “it’s like this where I live!” I say, no it’s not. I used to say this until I saw a bus hanging out over I-5 because the roads was too slick and the grade too steep, and that was the snow route. The water ice, rather than compacted snow and ice, is different, and a whole lot scarier.
Dan December 23, 2022 (4:25 pm)

This isn’t the east coast though. We’re not used to this weather.

Yourhuckleberry December 22, 2022 (5:09 pm)

All of them since most Seattle residents haven’t lived here long enough.

Out of curiosity December 23, 2022 (2:34 am)

I think West Seattle could benefit in introducing major arterial streets and bus routes that are called dedicated Snow Routes (with signage). These would be designated no parking while snow is present to allow proper and complete snow plowing and deicing ( complete ice and snow removal from street without the fear of hitting or burying a park car). They had these in my hometown in Illinois and it made it really easy to navigate the area because everyone knew where the snow routes and that they were safe and clear of snow and ice. Also I think because these are major arterial streets West Seattle would need to waive the 2 hour parking limit areas and paid parking during those time to alleviate the no parking on these the new Snow routes while snow is present. This would allow safe transit with immediate complete snow removal on Snow Routes which would allow more effort on secondary snow removal on side streets because the main Snow Routes would not need to be actively or repeatedly removed. Another side effect would be all heavy vehicles wouldn’t need chains all the time which destroys cleared roads causing pot holes. Just my two cents.

Common sense December 24, 2022 (3:05 pm)

So I didn’t understand people’s thought process yesterday. We were warned that there was going to be an ice storm and a complete freeze. I saw my porch and streets when I woke up, and knew it was an ice rink, and had sense enough to not pull out of my garage. Wait until later for the warmer temps and thawing, was my thought. Yet people decided they think they could drive on it, especially hills. What happened to common sense? It is lost! You will hide inside when covid hit, but jump to go out when everything is engulfed in ice to risk people’s lives and the hassle of repairing damaged vehicles. Wow!

Sorry, comment time is over.