With the Thanksgiving holiday around the corner we have put together a quick checklist of ways you can be prepared to take winter by storm.
Get ready for anything
Don’t get caught off–guard this winter. If you wait until the snow starts falling it may be too late because local stores may sell out of supplies and you certainly won’t be able to count on online delivery services.
❄️Use this snow & ice checklist to get prepared for freezing weather. At a minimum, you need a good snow shovel, warm clothes, and extra blankets in case the heat or power goes out in an emergency.
❄️Get ready for anything with this emergency kit checklist. Make sure you have flashlights, first-aid kits, and at least a three–day supply of food and water for the whole family (including pets – woof!)
❄️This winter weather car checklist will help you get your car ready for storms.
It’s all of our responsibility to keep our sidewalks safe for our neighbors
During a severe storm our crews are working 24/7 to clear the city’s most critical streets for buses and emergency services. We can’t be everywhere at once, and with over 2,400 miles of sidewalk in Seattle we depend on the public to do their part and clear ice and snow from the sidewalks in front of their homes and businesses.
Clearing your sidewalks isn’t just the law, it’s also the right thing to do so that everyone can travel safely during a snow storm, especially people who are blind, disabled, or have a harder time getting around.
Before it freezes, sprinkle rock salt (or another environmentally friendly product) to prevent ice from forming. Then shovel your sidewalks every day that it snows to prevent ice from forming overnight.
We’re all in this together, so talk to your neighbors and find out who’ll need help in your community. If your neighbors are out of town or physically unable to shovel snow, please pitch in and help them out. We need everyone to do their part to keep sidewalks safe for everyone to travel on.
How to get around safely in a snow storm
The safest way to travel around Seattle during a severe snow storm is not to drive if you don’t have to. We work with King County Metro to keep bus routes as clear of snow and ice as possible and are committed to using all the tools at our disposal to make sure people can get around the city by bus.
During a major snow storm, we prioritize plowing the most critical routes to hospitals, schools, and major employers. You can plan your trip, see where the snow plows have been, and view live traffic cameras on our interactive winter weather map.
If you absolutely need to drive, please take extra care and remember you’re responsible for outfitting your cars for winter weather, including chains or other traction devices. Look out for each other and be extra mindful of pedestrians and people biking.
If you are plan on using the bus, train, or ferry, know before you go:
- See the latest information on Metro’s blog. They’ll keep their eye on the King County Metro Transit commute from 6-9 AM and again from 3-7 PM and will post about service disruptions.
- Follow Metro’s RSS feed for real-time updates, bookmark their blog, or visit the Metro Online website for additional information and services.
- If you take the train, find Sound Transit alerts and information here.
- For Ferry info, please visit Washington State Ferries’ Travel Alert Bulletins, Kitsap Transit’s Fast Ferry, and/or WSDOT’s ferries site regarding your ferry commute.
You can also follow:
- King County Metro on Twitter.
- Washington State Ferries on Twitter.
- Washington State Department of Transportation on Twitter
- Sound Transit Twitter