(photo courtesy Katie M – send pix to editor@westseattleblog.com)
Find morning/afternoon updates, photos, comments here. Note that we have added a Sea-Tac webcam to the right sidebar for airportgoers. Meantime, we launch the afternoon with a LONG citywide update from the city’s Emergency Ops Center – it’s now posted on the city website (read it here) – note the mention that MONDAY TRASH SERVICE IS LIKELY TO BE POSTPONED – also, Hiawatha Community Center is open till 5; West Seattle (Admiral) Library is open; Southwest Pool is open (though lessons are canceled). And this excerpt re: roads:
City Transportation crews are continuing to clear streets after Saturday night’s storm. SDOT currently has trucks plowing, sanding and de-icing city streets. Three of those trucks are devoted solely to the West Seattle Bridge and the Alaskan Way Viaduct. With more precipitation expected, clearing work will continue throughout the day citywide. The department’s primary focus will be principal arterials, bridges and other elevated road structures, streets near hospitals, and bus routes. Twenty one SDOT workers are cleaning sidewalks outside of hospitals for safe access.
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1:14 PM UPDATE: Dasher the reindeer is at Capers. So if you’re going to The Junction, stop in there as well as getting your Santa photo at Cupcake Royale (till 3:30, and as mentioned in morning coverage, Santa is at Westwood Village till 4 pm):
Snowing like CRAZY again – just in time for the football game on TV, of course, so Seattle looks more like Green Bay … fitting for Coach Holmgren’s last game. Meantime – DL Byron from BikeHugger reports phone trouble on 56th SW, getting “all circuits are busy.” We will check with Qwest’s media unit about trouble.
1:27 PM UPDATE: Rey just sent some photos from around our Upper Fauntleroy ‘hood – thanks! First one, the stairs down from Cloverdale toward the Fauntleroy area, looking south:
And the official WSB HQ intersection, California/Thistle (but it’s Rey’s photo), looking north on Cali:
Uphill on Thistle, looking west (and sideways) to California:
Alkichick sends this link to her gallery of Alki photos taken “all week.” Meantime – HEAVY SNOW OUT THERE. From Arbor Heights, Darren sends this photo of 35th SW looking south from 105th:
1:43 PM UPDATE: Another restaurant report – Janie Pelligrini writes to say LA RUSTICA WILL BE OPEN TONIGHT! Vickie says The Bohemian is open for coffee till 3 pm. (We’d reported last night that they canceled brunch for today.) And reiterating, Hotwire is open till 5 pm. We will reinstate the “who’s open” list of quick links atop this post in a minute. Also, just in from JayDee on Alki via text message:
Celtic swell opens at 6; alki cafe open;alki bakery closes at 4; starbucks closes at 4; bamboo bar open until 10; pegasus closed? No note on the door. Cactus open to 9. Urban market is open. A 56 pulled up but cannot tell what the route is. Tully’s open, but hours are dependent on customers coming in.
And Shell just texted that Nail Time on California SW is open. Back to Alki – Alkichick’s pix include this one, probably the only birds we DON’T have to worry about in this weather?
In North Delridge, Jessie at Skylark says brunch continues till 3 pm. OK, there is an alarming headline on the P-I saying SIX MORE INCHES OF SNOW expected by tonight. Checking the forecasts for any verification of that. (…) Here’s the National Weather Service’s late-morning forecast. Up to 2″ today and up to 4″ tonight DO add up to six inches. That requires a cute pet photo before we get back to road conditions – this is Ellen‘s puggle Coco in Gatewood:
Ellen also sent this photo looking north on California all the way toward Morgan Junction and past to The Junction:
And in comments, word that another WSB sponsor, Alki Bike and Board, is renting snowshoes. Not sure where you get a snowmobile, but Bruce sent this photo from 34th SW:
2:18 PM UPDATE: From The Wilchers, a High Point pond panorama:
In comments – word that West Seattle Cellars is open till 5 pm. Meantime, a snow-creation photo – from Anne at Ventana Construction (WSB sponsor), left to right, it’s Logan, Jackson and Della with their newest friend:
We’re just getting some Admiral District photos in – this one from Kim:
This one’s from Lena:
Also from the Admiral District, via Twitter, WSB sponsor Click! Design That Fits sends this update:
Walking in the snow, seeing people ski to the store, feeling like we’re in a European village. Click! is open until 6pm and loving the snow
And if you can’t make it to the store, they have online shopping too. Here’s Lena’s photo looking in that general direction (Click! is by Blockbuster):
And back to Kim’s pix, Admiral Safeway:
2:43 PM UPDATE: Now as the snow intensifies (! new forecast within an hour or so!) – from Lori Ho at 16th/Thistle in Highland Park, Gavin Ho “standing proudly next to his snow fort”:
Another update from Capers in The Junction – last day to bring gifts to the Giving Tree for Hickman House. Remember that when this calms down, our local nonprofits are likely going to need a LOT of extra help – we will gather info as best we can to let everybody know how to pitch in.
2:55 PM UPDATE: JayDee toured Alki, as mentioned earlier (see his report above on who’s open/closed) – here are some of the pix he sent, starting with The Statue and Alki Cafe:
Admiral looking downhill/west from 59th:
And here’s another Alki icon – Whale Tail Park‘s namesake looks more like a beluga than its usual self, today:
Also from Alki, a crosscountry skier (and ferry) snapped by Brian:
Reminder about the WSB Traffic cams page (click the tab atop any WSB page) if anyone calls you from the Seahawks game asking about conditions getting home. Also, SDOT updated via Twitter that it’s now clearing routes away from the stadium to ensure fans’ safe travel home. We’re going out for a quick walk around the block to just shake off glued-to-chair syndrome before nightfall.
3:41 PM UPDATE: Not sure whether technically that’s freezing rain or sleet falling right now, but it’s little tiny ice crystals. Also, we finally get the “creme brulee” description that’s been going around to describe what happened earlier today – if you go out and walk through unshoveled snow, you will come to a layer of ice, 1/4″ to 1/8″ thick, which you can lift out in sharp-edged sheets:
Also, this advisory just in from SDOT:
With yet another wave of snow arriving, the Seattle
Department of Transportation (SDOT) continues to aggressively plow,
de-ice and sand across the city. With additional inches of snow hitting
roadways, the department continues to advise that motorists use caution
and not drive if it can be avoided. If motorists must drive, they are
advised to reduce their speeds, transition carefully from side streets
to arterials and give snowplows ample room to operate.The department’s focus remains principal arterials, bridges and other
elevated road structures, streets near hospitals, and bus routes. A
particular emphasis has been placed on outbound travel routes from Qwest
Field. SDOT currently has its entire winter response fleet of 27 trucks
plowing, sanding and de-icing city streets. Four of those trucks are
devoted solely to the West Seattle Bridge and the Alaskan Way Viaduct.
Due to icy conditions, the South Lake Union line of the Seattle
Streetcar is no longer in operation.
Also an update from Sea-Tac Airport:
Alaska and Horizon have suspended service due to severe winter weather and deteriorating conditions. Airport is open and other carriers are continuing operations. There is sufficient deicing fluid for the airfield through Monday and SeaTac is sharing with surrounding airports. Aircraft deicing supply trucks are stuck on the east side of the pass. There are a significant number of passengers stranded in the airport. Alaska has instructed all passengers who live in the area to go home and rebook their flights online or by phone.
Sharonn Meeks sent a pic with word that The Mount has had enough snow-clearing to access relatively safely:
Update from the city Parks Department:
Seattle Parks and Recreation’s School Age Care Winter Break Camps at all community
centers will be closed on Monday, Dec. 22, due to weather conditions. A child care hotline is available for additional updates on Winter Break Camp operation. Call 206-684-7123 for Hotline Updates.Early morning lap swims for Monday, Dec. 22, are closed at Medgar Evers Pool and Southwest Pool, but these facilities will open at their standard operating time. All other pools that normally have early morning lap swims, including Ballard, Evans, Queen Anne and Meadowbrook will be open for this use. Madison and Rainier Beach pools will have normal operating hours.
All other Seattle Parks and Recreation facilities will have normal operating hours on Monday. These include community centers, pools, environmental learning centers, Amy Yee Tennis Center and Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center. Regularly scheduled programming has been canceled, but drop-in use of these facilities is available.
Public golf courses, including Jackson Park, Interbay, West Seattle and Jefferson Park are closed for golf, but are open for sledding.
New forecast posted within the hour – includes the previously mentioned “up to 6″ new” through tonight, then snow showers in almost every daypart through Tuesday night, when “snow likely” is the phrase. Read it here.
In comments, update from Jessie at Skylark, where usually there’s all-ages live music on Sunday nights (and live music SIX nights a week):
Two out of three bands have understandably cancelled tonight, but we are still planning on staying open. If you have cabin fever in the Delridge neighborhood feel free to stop by for hot food and/or warming beverages. We close at 11pm on Sundays and are all ages/full bar with ID. Everyone’s disappointed we didn’t get the expected “slightly warmer weather and rain” reprieve…but bands are all rescheduling for early ‘09 so it’s not so bad.
Just created a separate post for a harbor seal photographed at Lincoln Park. Thanks for all the photos — keep ’em coming, we’re still catching up. Snowing heavily again where we are, by the way. TV reporter at Sea-Tac says Alaska may not get more de-icer till tomorrow (as posted above, they’ve suspended all flights anyway).
4:14 PM UPDATE: Metro’s Linda Thielke is doing a phone interview on TV noting this is the TENTH day of snow operations. We are making a separate post with quick links and other info (closures/changes) that you might want to refer to frequently without scrolling back thru the WSB running coverage – let us know – editor@westseattleblog.com – if there’s anything in particular you’d like to see in such a list. One of them, of course, will be the Metro reroute/canceled/suspended list. Meantime – levity of course is a saving grace (or however that saying goes) – Bridgette posted on Facebook, “Now announcing the opening of the West Seattle ski area … lifts under construction.” Jim and Laurie sent this next photo with the subject line “Pigeon Point Hummer!” and we thought perhaps it would be a big ol’ vehicle munching up a hill – but no – it’s those little guys we’ve been discussing:
4:25 PM UPDATE: Here’s the latest from Metro regarding tomorrow morning:
King County Metro Transit will be operating approximately half of its regular service Monday morning, Dec. 22, because of ongoing difficult travel conditions due to heavy snowfall over the weekend. Also, roads throughout King County are expected to be dangerously icy Monday morning.
Please check the Metro Online website before you leave home to see if your bus route is operating and if it is on snow routing.
As it enters its 10th day of snow operations, Metro plans to operate with a level of service similar to last Friday. On Monday morning, about half of Metro’s and Sound Transit’s bus service in King County will be temporarily suspended due to weather and road conditions. If the roads clear during the day, Metro plans to add more service on the routes in operation.
Metro’s operations have been impacted by the weather throughout King County, but the hilly streets and amount of snowfall inside the city of Seattle have made travel in the city unusually difficult. Also, in many areas travel lanes have been restricted, which is slowing down both buses and general-purpose traffic.
Bus passengers should be aware that travel conditions can change quickly, and this list of disrupted service may be revised at any time due to weather and road conditions. In some locations, where roads are impassable for large buses, Metro will be operating chained shuttles.
In order to safely transport as many passengers as possible, Metro is focusing on providing bus service on cleared highways and arterial roads, and to major transit centers and park-and-ride lots.
Passengers should be prepared to board buses at major transit centers, flat arterials, or at the top or bottom of hills. Please dress warmly, wear appropriate footwear, and be prepared to wait. The buses that are running are expected to be significantly delayed.
This transit plan will continue until weather and road conditions improve, which means almost all bus service will be significantly limited. Metro appreciates everyone’s patience, and reminds customers that safety for passengers and bus drivers is the agency’s No. 1 concern.
Information about bus status is available on Metro’s Ice & Snow page, but conditions are changing rapidly. You can also call the Metro Customer Information Office at (206) 553-3000, but call volumes are high and there may be a wait to talk to a CIO representative. People should closely monitor the latest weather and traffic reports for information about travel conditions.
4:31 PM UPDATE: In comments, Ellen mentioned a festive atmosphere in The Junction. Here’s pictorial proof:
However, she reports, nobody was going to let Santa cut in line for coffee at Cupcake Royale (where Santa photos are over for the day now – thanks to everybody who made it down to The Junction!):
Speaking of Christmas fun, Kate e-mails about walking from High Point to the Admiral District for the free show this morning of “A Christmas Story.” She says “lots of people were out to laugh at Ralphie” and she also sent back sights along the way, including this “snow dragon”:
4:49 PM UPDATE: A reminder from Angelina:
Can you please remind people that it is illegal to go snowmobiling and four-by-ing in parks? We have had people driving through High Point Park and it tears up the ground underneath… Not to mention it is a safety hazard.
5:27 PM UPDATE: Started a separate post to be a standing list of hopefully helpful links. Bernie pointed out that Amtrak isn’t getting much mention but it’s had trouble too – this alert notes its Northwest service was completely canceled today. If you have a suggestion for additional helpful links, we’ll continue to build that list through the night, so please leave a comment.
5:41 PM UPDATE: From Jenny on Genesee Hill – another example of that ice layer we mentioned earlier (the “creme brulee” effect as some have described it):
From Jim and Sharon:
Found Dec. 20 on Pigeon Point: 1 pair cross country skis boots and poles. 935-1532
The WSB Forums are usually a good place for lost/found (and we post lost/found dogs/cats/etc. on our Pets page – e-mail us any time), BUT in these circumstances the front page is where many people are hanging out so we’re noting it here.
5:54 PM UPDATE: From Amy at Delridge/Thistle, a couple photos – starting with this one looking north on Thistle at dusk:
And the Longfellow Creek/Thistle Greenspace P-patch, a view we haven’t seen so far:
Via Twitter, County Executive Ron Sims sends word that Cliff Mass filed a 5 pm weather update. Cliff says this band of snow will move through by mid-evening and that there shouldn’t be anything much behind it, for now. Want to be amused? Check out how excited we got over a bit of a flurry last Christmas.
6:41 PM UPDATE: Will be switching over to an evening post soon. From Twitter, word that Beveridge Place Pub in Morgan Junction “is packed.”
This is important: There is word of some power outages here and there – not in Seattle so far – because of heavy snow taking out branches and then lines. So be sure you know where your outage-related items are. So far, we have heard (not confirmed via official sources) about some trouble in Olympia, north Vashon (via comments), and the Eastside.
Via Twitter, word that the National Weather Service noted record daily snowfall at Sea-Tac today – 3 inches, the most ever on December 21, breaking 2.6 inches on 12/21/67.
7:01 PM: Before we close this post down – one more cute kid pic – The Andersens in Arbor Heights, in fact, e-mailed this with the explanation that it’s one of their “cute kids eating snow.”
The Sunday evening post has now begun – please join us there!
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