Here comes round two of snow and ice. Are you ready?
The National Weather Service’s Seattle office has issued a winter storm warning for our region, in effect from noon today until 4 PM Saturday.
Heavy snow is expected, with 6-8″ of snowfall in Seattle. The heaviest snowfall will occur between 3 – 10 PM this evening. North to northeast winds will increase tonight to 15-30 mph, with gusts up to 45 mph. View the winter storm warning here.
It’s going to be snowy, windy, and cold, which is going to make travel very challenging.
Please plan ahead and avoid traveling unless necessary. Make sure that you, your family, your friends, and your home and vehicle are all prepared now – before it’s really bad – so you have options over the next few days.
Did you choose to drive today? Please head home now!
Did you drive to work this morning or are out running errands? Please suspend normal travel patterns and head toward home now – before the snow starts falling. Leaving now and getting your vehicle to a safe spot at home and out of the way is critical if we’re going to prevent icy gridlock tonight.
Got a car waiting for you at quitting time downtown? Don’t wait. We especially need you, the downtown Seattle commuter, to get that vehicle straight to your home, garage, or driveway ASAP.
We can only do our job of clearing slippery streets when personal cars and trucks aren’t in the way. Clogged commuter routes and any abandoned car stop us in our tracks. That means no plowing, prepping, or salting until we get our trucks moving again.
We’re ready to plow and clear streets 24/7 – starting yesterday.
We’ve got our top-notch team treating streets now.
We work before, during, and after storms.
That means spreading deicer on our most critical streets, using salt, and doing our best to plow snow before it accumulates and gets packed into an almost-impenetrable icy layer that locals lovingly call “Seattle cement.”
We’ll keep working 24/7 through the weekend to treat our critical streets, which are most important for getting to major public institutions such as hospitals and schools; the streets that are most frequently used by police, fire trucks and buses; and streets leading to Seattle’s major employers.
We’re treating pedestrian bridges, outdoor stairways, and curb ramps.
We are also treating pedestrian bridges, outdoor stairways, and curb ramps. which are not in front of homes or businesses. Reminder: sidewalks and driveways are the responsibility of the property owner to maintain and clear. If a property owner fails to keep their sidewalks clear leading to exceptionally dangerous conditions, you may report it to us on the Find It, Fix It app or by emailing a picture to 684-ROAD@seattle.gov.
Check out our Winter Weather Storm Response map for live camera feeds of neighborhood streets, identified obstacles, and the latest streets we’ve treated. We call out streets that have been treated in the last hour, last three hours, and last twelve hours so you can plan ahead.
Critical streets, life-safety routes are priority #1.
One takeaway from all this planning that is important to remember – not all streets get equal treatment during a snowstorm. Those biggest, busiest, most critical streets with major transit and life safety services are our top tier (they’re gold and green on our map).
We simply can’t treat and plow every street in the city. It’s not practical and not safe. Plus, for those especially narrow, hilly, or curved streets, we’d have to start towing cars to get our plow blades safely through. Check out the winter weather response map to learn Seattle’s snow and ice street network.
Prepare thyself, Seattle traveler.
Our latest blog post has all of the details on how you can plan ahead and travel safely during this time. Tips: keep your sidewalk clear of snow and ice, give yourself lots of extra travel time, avoid driving if possible, and stock up on emergency supplied.
You may also use our winter storm preparedness checklist. If you can, print it out and cross off items as you go. We also have good information about how to make a plan and be a good neighbor during the storm.
More resources:
- Read our winter weather FAQs – all of the answers you’ve been waiting for on snow & ice response!
- Don’t miss our winter weather resources & related websites.
- Visit King County Metro’s Metro Winter webpage: prepare for bus routes in winter weather.
- Read our recent winter weather blog posts for more helpful info.
Be prepared and stay safe out there!
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