West Seattle, Washington
01 Friday
6:14 PM: Just in from the Admiral Neighborhood Association – the first Summer Concerts at Hiawatha show, scheduled for 6:30 tonight, is RAINED OUT – the gym at Hiawatha is not available as a backup. No word yet if Sway Wild will be rescheduled. Five more Thursday night concerts are scheduled – here’s hoping for better weather!
ADDED 8:23 PM: Thanks to Mark for texting the photos.
The cloud formation over the Olympics made June’s final sunset one to remember. Thanks for the photos! Above, from Terry; below, from Kanit:
And from Marc:
Spring’s final weekend came to a colorful close:
That’s the view Marc Milrod had looking northwest from Alki, and here’s the one from Jim Borrow looking southeast:
Jim also sent a bonus pre-sunset view:
Next Friday, you can celebrate the change of seasons by watching the first post-summer solstice sunset with Alice Enevoldsen at Solstice Park (7400 Fauntleroy Way SW) – she’ll be there starting at 8:30; sunset’s around 9 – come learn about the solar system as well as why the park got its name!
Thanks to JayDee for the pre-sunset photo from Alki, after the sun emerged following a rainy afternoon. Good news is that the weather’s looking up for tomorrow and Monday – sunshine and 70-ish highs are in the forecast.
In case you missed the sunset … the photo above is from James Bratsanos; the one below, from Vivian M:
And Guardian One tagged us on Twitter, so we are including their view looking west from the Eastside:
Good evening Seattle… @westseattleblog @CityofSeattle pic.twitter.com/QPTfJEVDjg
— KCSOAirsupport (@KCSOAirsupport) May 23, 2019
That view was texted from Alki – thanks to everyone who’s sent a pic.
Reader video following the rainbow’s arch pic.twitter.com/nCwNaKCIng
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) May 15, 2019
And from Chris White in the east Junction:
Plus: from “Charlotte and her mom,” @ Gatewood Elementary:
And David Hutchinson‘s view toward the downtown skyline, from Don Armeni Boat Ramp:
Might see more, with rain/showers in the forecast for the foreseeable future!
Thanks for sharing the photos! 3 more beautiful West Seattle sunset scenes. Above and below are from Tuesday evening – above, David Hutchinson capturing The Olympics; below, Jim Borrow photographed an Argosy vessel passing:
The next scene is from Monday’s also-stunning sunset, by Sara Gharbi-Reinking:
Next – might be three in a row!
If you missed the colorful Monday night sunset – here are two views: Above, the sun shone brightly until the very last, as it disappeared next to the Olympics’ Mount Constance – that photo is by Dan Ciske; a bit later, the pink glow was captured by Lynn Hall:
Promising weather Tuesday night, too.
Early this morning, the Olympic Mountains peeked out from beneath the clouds to show what was happening up there while overnight rain was soaking us down here. The top photo – featuring Mount Constance – is from Jim Borrow; the wider view below is from JayDee:
Side note: We wondered about the state of the snowpack, given that March was light on precipitation. Here’s a variety of ways to gauge it.
(WSB photo)
2:19 PM: Thanks for the tip – those tree limbs that fell on SW Othello east of California SW in Gatewood [map] are the first effects we’ve seen of the bursts of wind and rain that have moved through a few times so far this afternoon. Inbetween – some sunbreaks like the one we’re in right now. The National Weather Service’s Wind Advisory alert remains in effect until 7 tonight. If the weather causes any trouble where you are, text or call 206-293-6302 to let us know – thanks!
4:39 PM: The NWS just announced it’s ending the Wind Advisory early.
Blustery weather is expected tomorrow – so much so, that the National Weather Service has issued a Wind Advisory alert for 11 am-7 pm Saturday:
* WIND…Southerly 20 to 35 mph with gusts 40-55 mph. …
* TIMING…Winds will increase late Saturday morning and peak during the afternoon hours. Winds will diminish Saturday evening.
* IMPACTS…Winds will make driving difficult for high profile vehicles. Weak trees or small tree branches may be blown down and result in local power outages.
For those by the water, looks like the day’s highest tide will be past before the wind kicks up.
Thanks for sharing the views of tonight’s super sunset! The photo above is from “Diver Laura” James; below, from Marc Milrod:
We might not be so lucky tomorrow night, as the forecast suggests rain will return.
Thanks for the photos from spring’s first sunset! The panorama above is from David Hutchinson. Below, Scott Scowcroft was at Alice Enevoldsen‘s 40th change-of-seasons watch at Solstice Park (we had to miss it because of breaking news):
Alice says it went well. (ADDED EARLY THURSDAY) Two more photos from her event, by Jason Enevoldsen, who counted about 90 in attendance:
And what a sunset it was! Another view, from Lynn Hall:
Right around the same time, the full moon rose in the east – as noted after our roundup of today’s moonset photos, you can look for tomorrow’s moonset around 7:27 am.
Thanks for the photos of this morning’s marvelous moonset! Above is from James Bratsanos; below, from Chris Frankovich:
From David Hutchinson:
And from Jim Borrow:
(Added) One more – from Kersti Muul:
The moon is not officially full until tonight – the first time in 38 years the full moon and spring equinox have been on the same date! (You can always find moonset/moonrise times on the WSB West Seattle Weather page – 7:09 pm moonrise tonight, 7:27 am moonset tomorrow.)
Fairly serious snow shower right now, at least where we are (300+ feet elevation, east of Lincoln Park). But we can also hear water in the downspout, verifying that it’s not sticking … so far. Spring really is scheduled to start in just 12 days. And the word “snow” vanishes from the (current) forecast after today … for now!
(SDOT MAP with travel times/ Is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE/ West Seattle-relevant traffic cams HERE)
6:16 AM: Good morning! Some snow on the ground where we are. How about you?
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY: The Weather Service has one in effect until noon.
SCHOOLS: Seattle Public Schools on time … Our Lady of Guadalupe 1 hour late
RIDE2: Canceled for the rest of the morning
6:37 AM: No snow-related trouble or changes to report. Just the advice to take extra time when you head out! … If you’re wondering about schools, no word on that front so far either. Highline Public Schools south of us has made a point to say it’s planning to open on time.
6:47 AM: Some scattered Metro changes are starting to come in – for example, Route 128, which serves West Seattle too, is on snow routing “in the Tukwila, Park Lake, and White Center areas due to road conditions.”
6:57 AM: First school delay in – Our Lady of Guadalupe will start an hour late, 9:15 am dropoff. … Snow in multiple areas of West Seattle, though NOT everywhere in the city. Photo from Michele in Highland Park:
7:12 AM: Seattle Public Schools has just reaffirmed, it’s on time.
7:24 AM: Where we are – just over 300′ – even the side-street surface is no longer snow-covered, so this seems to be more like the typical short-lived Seattle snow than what we all experienced in February. Nonetheless, be extra careful, since it’s still likely to be slick, especially as you get to your bus/car/etc. … Just went out to check – photo added. Lightly raining; can hear the snow melting.
7:39 AM: New Metro alert about snow routing – ALL buses in this area. A texter also says Route 125 is definitely snow-routing so “there may be some real unhappy people up the hill.” Speaking of hills:
Thanks to @janeydangerous for tweeting that photo of the SW Genesee hill east of Avalon.
8:22 AM: The melt continues. Major roads are bare and wet.
8:43 AM: Metro just sent an alert (and tweet) that Ride2 is canceled in West Seattle for the rest of the morning.
8:56 AM: Metro says the C Line is back to regular routing … If you’re just headed out onto the eastbound bridge, heads-up – there’s a report of wires down on the 1st Avenue S. exit ramp.
9:07 AM: The SDOT camera on that ramp shows the right lane currently blocked.
9:13 AM: The entire 1st S. offramp is now closed.
9:40 AM: Metro has resumed regular routing.
10:04 AM: The 1st Avenue S. ramp situation is, according to scanner traffic, also affecting surface Spokane on the eastbound side. City Light has to do pole work to resolve the situation.
Yes, that’s a “wintry mix” some (us included) are seeing right now, but forecasters insist it’s not going to amount to much, and it’s way too warm for anything to stick. You might see a bit more tonight, according to the National Weather Service.
Just in case those fleeting flurries earlier this morning concerned you – though possible snow showers appear on and off in the forecast for the days ahead, nothing major is predicted. But if you’re ready for spring, here’s some hope:
Tired of the cold?
Need something to look forward to?
The outlook for April-May-June favors above average temperatures for the PNW. #wawx
*places hands back in front of space heater* pic.twitter.com/FbDBNKLTzu
— NWS Seattle (@NWSSeattle) February 22, 2019
Thanks to Marc Milrod for the photo of tonight’s sunset. This enables us to note with joy that spring is only one month – and a short month at that (four weeks) – away!
So far:
DISTRICTS
Seattle Public Schools – regular hours, regular bus routes Friday
Vashon Island SD – regular hours, regular bus routes Friday
P.S. Short list, with Friday included in mid-winter break for some schools, as well as the entire Highline Public Schools district.
Something to add? Text or voice 206-293-6302 – thank you!
7:39 PM: Evening updates ahead, including what we are hearing about Thursday:
Our photo of a side street near WSB HQ tells much of tonight’s story, from uncollected solid waste to slush that might refreeze by morning. Here’s the latest:
TRASH/RECYCLING: SPU says crews could not get to all Mon./Tues. customers
METRO: Some buses still rerouted; more details here
WATER TAXI: West Seattle route on 2-boat schedule
RIDE2: (update) Resumes normal WS service Thursday
SCHOOLS: Thursday announcements here
8:01 PM: Here’s Metro’s summary of the plan for tomorrow:
Metro is continuing to restore service wherever possible, with some snow reroutes still operating and delays likely, as recovery efforts move into Thursday.
Routes that will not operate on Thursday
On Thursday, the following six routes will not operate: 37, 78, 237, 243, 244 and 330.
The snow (etc.) rerouting link is in our list above. (added) Here are full details … Meantime, as also linked above, here’s the official SPU statement if you are a Monday/Tuesday residential trash/recycling/etc. customer who didn’t get picked up today:
Our trucks had significant challenges getting to all Monday and Tuesday areas today, even with chains and extra crews. If you are a Mon/Tues customer and your garbage was not collected today, it will be collected next week. You may set out additional bags for free. Customers whose collection was missed may also bring their garbage, recycling, and food/yard waste to our north or south transfer stations for free. Extended hours tomorrow and Friday-until 7:30. We know it’s frustrating when your waste is not collected so we thank you for your continued patience as we recover from the series of winter storms.
9:40 PM: The overnight forecast looks a little less frozen – lows “near 30” in the city – but the city’s out treating the roads; check out the “past hour” lines on the map.
10:42 PM: Just in, and updated in list above, West Seattle Ride2 service will resume on Thursday.
12:47 PM: Looking for something to do in the hours ahead? Here are the announced plans for Seattle Parks facilities in West Seattle:
Southwest Pool – via email:
The Seattle Parks Department has again made the decision to operate on a limited schedule due to snow and challenging road conditions. Swim lessons and all evening programs are cancelled. Swim lesson participants will receive a credit on their Parks account for the missed lesson.
Consider coming in to swim today. A workout for the adults or a Public Swim this afternoon for the kids. (Children under 6 or under 48 inches need to have an adult in the water with them.)
o (Now until) 1:30 Adult Swim
o 1:30-2:30 Water Exercise
o 2:30- 4:30 Public Swim
o 4:30-6:30 Lap Swim(Regular admission fees apply)
Community centers are open for drop-in activities – Hiawatha, South Park, High Point, Delridge, Alki until 6 pm.
West Seattle Golf Course – “closed for golf but are open for sledding and snow play.”
Camp Long visitor center – open until 3 pm.
As for what’s closed/canceled, see the Parks update here.
4:36 PM UPDATE: Southwest Pool has had to close early because of a non-weather problem.
That’s Gatewood Elementary – closest one to us, so we photographed it after hearing city leaders implore community members to get out and help clear sidewalks outside schools around the city, in hopes that will help them safely reopen tomorrow, along with other steps that are being taken. Get out right now with a shovel and do what you can, Mayor Durkan urged – along non-school streets, too, since, she noted, it’ll be easier to clear now than after the expected “hard freeze” tonight.
Other toplines from the daily briefing (following the video):
–Seattle Public Utilities general manager Mami Hara reiterated the info from earlier about catching up on Monday/Tuesday solid-waste customers today, one-day delay for others as the week continues, free transfer-station visits for those who’ve gone more than a week since pickups, and hopes of being back on schedule next week. She also reaffirmed that they’re trying to collect recycling in WS (and North Seattle) neighborhoods where it was missed on Monday of last week.
(Added 2:18 pm – emailed photo of downed wire/cable in Fauntleroy along Brace Point Drive)
–Seattle City Light general manager Debra Smith said that they have about 300 “jobs that are open” – cables/wires to check on, not outage-related, and that most are “communications” cables/wires (“but do assume those wires are live and dangerous” until assessed by SCL). She also said the outage map is lagging again, and their vendor is working on that.
–SDOT director Sam Zimbabwe said that his crews are out treating streets again to prevent the feared freezeover, as well as clearing streets near schools. He also urged people to be careful about trees brought down by the heavy/melting snow, saying calls of that nature have been up in recent days.
| Comments Off on RAINOUT: No concert at Hiawatha tonight