posted 11/22/10 03:27 PM | updated 11/22/10 07:33 PM
Views: 8598 | Comments : 23 | News, etc.

Capitol Hill #snomg Thanksgiving week 2010: Monday night update

By jseattle
Share Recommend (0 votes) ( report abuse ) ( add your comment )
A stream of cars -- and a guy carrying a pizza -- on East Olive Way
(view larger map)

If you told us this morning -- #snomg Monday Update --  that we'd be producing a second #snomg update today, we'd have told you about Cliff Mass and sat back comfortably and.. wait. Things have changed. Mass says get ready for more.  And the National Weather Service says batten down the hatches. See something we need to know about? chs@capitolhillseattle.com or call/txt (206) 399-5959.

...WINTER STORM WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 10 PM PST THIS EVENING

FOR THE SEATTLE...TACOMA...EVERETT METRO AREAS INCLUDING THE HOOD

CANAL AREA...THE KITSAP PENINSULA AND THE EASTERN PUGET SOUND

LOWLANDS...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS CONTINUED THE WINTER STORM

WARNING FOR THE SEATTLE...TACOMA...EVERETT METRO AREAS INCLUDING

THE HOOD CANAL AREA...THE KITSAP PENINSULA AND THE EASTERN PUGET

SOUND LOWLANDS FOR HEAVY SNOW...WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM PST

THIS EVENING.

 

* SOME AFFECTED LOCATIONS...EVERETT...GOLD BAR...SEATTLE... NORTH

  BEND...BREMERTON...SHELTON...TACOMA...AND ENUMCLAW.

 

* TIMING...BANDS OF LOCALLY HEAVY SNOW WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE

  AREA THOUGH THE EVENING HOURS. THE SNOW WILL END LATER THIS

  EVENING FROM THE NORTH...BUT SOME DRIFTING OF THE SNOW IS LIKELY

  TONIGHT AS NORTHERLY WINDS INCREASE TO 20 TO 30 MPH AND GUSTS TO

  40 MPH.

 

* ACCUMULATIONS...EXPECT TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS RANGING FROM 2 TO 6

  INCHES. SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE QUITE VARIABLE AROUND THE

  AREA WITH HEAVIEST AMOUNTS OCCURRING CLOSER TO THE CASCADE

  FOOTHILLS AND IN LOCALIZED BANDS AROUND THE CENTRAL PUGET SOUND

  AREA.

 

* WIND...EXPECT NORTH WINDS TO INCREASE TO 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS

  TO 40 MPH THIS EVENING. THE GUSTY NORTH WINDS TONIGHT WILL CAUSE

  SOME BLOWING AND DRIFTING OF THE SNOW. THE COMBINATION OF THE

  STRONG WIND AND TEMPERATURES FALLING INTO THE LOWER 20S WILL

  GIVE WIND CHILL VALUES OF 0 TO 10 DEGREES ABOVE ZERO TONIGHT.

 

* IMPACT...GUSTY WINDS NEAR 40 MPH COULD RESULT IN LOCAL POWER

  OUTAGES...THUS CONSIDER ALTERNATE...BUT SAFE...SOURCES OF

  HEAT IN CASE THIS OCCURS. OTHERWISE MAKE SURE YOU HAVE

  PLENTY OF EXTRA WARM CLOTHING OR BLANKETS.

 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

 

A WINTER STORM WARNINGS MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER IS OCCURRING

OR IMMINENT. THOSE PLANNING TRAVEL IN THE WARNED AREA SHOULD BE

PREPARED FOR HAZARDOUS...WINTER DRIVING CONDITIONS AND PLAN

ACCORDINGLY.

 

Weather Underground PWS KWASEATT110
o Latest CHS weather coverage
o Metro & SDOT info
o Hill traffic cams
o Twitter updates


Snowy Streets, originally uploaded by e_grosh.

crows2, originally uploaded by vics44.
3:49PM - City of Seattle bulletin - Here's an update on city services:

SEATTLE – With the National Weather Service calling for continued subfreezing temperatures and winds gusting up to 40 mph, the city of Seattle continues its response. Following is an update.

 

  • The Seattle Department of Transportation continues its snow response with 22 plows and three flusher trucks applying anti-icing material on snow routes through 8 p.m. On the night shift SDOT will continue salt brining on snow routes. For more information, please see http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/winterweather.htm.

 

  • The city of Seattle will open the Seattle Center Pavilion near Key Arena tonight through Thursday, Nov. 25, as an additional shelter for homeless people. Doors open at 9 p.m. each evening. These shelters are also open the nights of November 22, 23, 24, and 25:

 

o   City Hall, 4th Avenue between Cherry and James Sts., is open from 9 p.m. and people should not arrive before 8:30 p.m.

o   Frye Hotel (women only), 3rd Ave. and Yesler Way, opens at 8 p.m.

 

  • Fire Department has chained up four of its engines in anticipation of worsening road conditions; Engine 17 (University District), Engine 31 (Northgate), Engine 8 (top of Queen Anne Hill), and Engine 2 (bottom of Queen Anne Hill).

 

  • Seattle Parks and Recreation has closed all athletic fields and has cancelled all community center programs scheduled after 6 p.m., and all pool programs. Parks has also cancelled all evening recreation programs and closed middle-school learning centers and golf courses. Pools and community centers are open for drop-in use until their regularly scheduled closing times and school age care camps are in session.

http://parkways.seattle.gov/2010/11/22/parks-and-recreation-cancels-programs-closes-some-facilities/

 

 

  • Woodland Park Zoo closed at 3 p.m. today. Regular winter hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.

 

  • The City reminds residents NOT to use barbecues or electric generators indoors, because poisonous carbon monoxide build up and can cause permanent brain damage and even death.

 

 

  • There is no change in garbage pickup at this time.
3:59PM - Be careful on overpasses - Video of the mess on Denny right now thanks to @kevinseattle
4:22PM - More pictures - Here's Cal Anderson looking east from @seozombie
4:41PM - Metro still on snow routes - In case you were wondering http://metro.kingcounty.gov/up/rr/adverseweather.html
4:47PM - From @blueeyedbuddha: Capitol Hill is a nightmare, folks. 12th is stop-go both directions. E-W streets sucked too. Saw a guy stuck in place- streets icing up. #fb
5:02PM - Off-Hill roads - Away from Capitol Hill, things are getting bad pretty quickly on the roadways. Lots of reports of gridlock around the city and that is likely to increase now that SPD has made decision to close the Viaduct.
5:05PM - Be especially cautious on overpasses - SDOT bulletin warning of closures and efforts to keep open:

Road Conditions Worsen on Elevated Structures

SEATTLE – For safety reasons, the Seattle Police Department is closing the following roadways due to icy conditions.

· Northbound and southbound Alaskan Way Viaduct

· West Davus Street between 20th and 27th avenues


The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is working aggressively to treat them and reopen them as soon as possible. SDOT recommends that drivers find alternative routes.

The West Seattle Bridge remains open. Seattle Department of Transportation anti-icing plows are working with the assistance of the Seattle Police Department to treat the bridge.
5:20PM - Capitol Hill #snomg Thanksgiving week 2010: Monday night update - Taking a walking tour of the Hill. 15th Ave E is slick and icy but many are managing it so far.
5:31PM - Capitol Hill #snomg Thanksgiving week 2010: Monday night update - John above 12th also becoming usual car slide and parking lot.
5:41PM - Capitol Hill #snomg Thanksgiving week 2010: Monday night update - Bobby Morris does it's best North Dakota impersonation.
5:50PM - Lillbird99 sends us this picture of 12th at Pine where I just walked through. Traffic is crawling on all major streets and side streets are clogging with parked and ditched cars.
5:52PM - Capitol Hill #snomg Thanksgiving week 2010: Monday night update - This car sits empty in middle of Harvard just before Pike.
6:09PM - Capitol Hill #snomg Thanksgiving week 2010: Monday night update - Denny Way is indeed closed below Olive.
6:23PM - Broadway back-up also slow going but without constant threat of a car careening downhill.
6:29PM - Nearly every restaurant and bar I've passed is open though I suspect many will be closing early. Supermarkets are also open -- and are zoos.
6:35PM - Capitol Hill #snomg Thanksgiving week 2010: Monday night update - Every exit from the Hill is backed up. Here you see E Aloha approaching 10th. Going to be a long night. Park. Make a friend. It's a nice thought. But these people want to go home.
6:55PM - 43 bus crash, no injuries - Just got txt saying 43 bus crashed in telephone pole on south side of Olive at 13th. No injuries. Olive's even a bigger mess now.
6:58PM - Sorry for funky fishbowl pics. iPhone 4 continues to confound our mobile posting 'technology'
7:09PM - Reports from the streets - Bruce says: "Boren ave going down hill from university to pike is super dangerous I have seen 3 casrs bumb into each other. I suggest people stay away"

Jason: "Belmont and harrison is extremely unsafe right now, probably a good idea to let your readers know to stay away. Some video footage on my twitter at

@gashalot: "Madison totally iced @ 14 th. Multiple abandoned cars on road."
7:11PM - Video from East Aloha - Notable as this was the last line of cars still using Aloha -- and for the wind:
7:40PM - A look at the back-up on I-5 earlier tonight thanks to TheSunBreak's MvB:
7:59PM - Metro 43 and 44 revisions -
There are two significant service revisions for Routes 43 & 44 for Monday evening.

First, Route 43 on Capitol Hill is traveling to and from the University District via
the Route 49 routing on Broadway and across the University Bridge.

Route 43 is not serving Capitol Hill east of Broadway or Montlake.

Second, all Route 43 trips are currently turning back in the University District and not
continuing to or from Ballard as Route 44, due icy conditions on NW Market St.

This limited service will be in effect for routes 43 & 44 until further notice.
8:06PM - Big media fail - Neighbor Bruce shares this picture of an abandoned KIRO car left on Boren between University and Pike. According to Meghan in comments, Boren is now closed at Union.
8:16PM - SDOT list of closed streets -
Roadways currently closed include:
· The Alaskan Way Viaduct has reopened northbound; southbound it is open as far as 1st Ave. SDOT is working to reopen portions south of 1st Ave. within the next two hours.
· West Dravus Street between 20th and 27th Aves.
· Battery St. Tunnel southbound
· NE 5100 block of Latona Ave. N
· Denny Way between Melrose and Stewart Sts.
· 23rd Ave. E at E Alder St.
· Marion St. between 1st and 2nd Aves.

City Light reports scattered outages, primarily on Beacon Hill, affecting about 250 customers systemwide.

These Seattle Parks and Recreation community centers have closed for the night: Alki, Delridge, Hiawatha, Van Asselt, Magnolia, Montlake, Yesler, Magnuson, Laurelhurst, Bitter Lake, Loyal Heights, Green Lake, Northgate, International District/Chinatown, and the Garfield Teen Life Center. All others will close at their regular times.

The EOC will remain open as needed to monitor weather conditions and provide information about the operations of city departments in response to traffic, road conditions, shelter, and other circumstances relating to today’s storm.
8:27PM - Seattle Public Schools closed Tuesday - SPS is contacting parents tonight with automated information informing them no school on Tuesday. For elementary kids, they already had it off so big whoop. But the middle school and high school kids are excited, surely.
8:34PM - Icy sidewalks - CHS had flashbacks to 2008 tonight. Rushing to cover a bus crash, walking down East Olive Way's sidewalks was a near neck-breaking experience. We only fell five times two years ago. But we were one of the first media to the bus scene. SDOT sends out a bulletin tonight reminding property owners that clearing -- and keeping clear -- the sidewalks in front of their property is their responsibility. It would be great if we all had the tools and the time to live up to the law. We know SDOT has its hands full trying to keep the streets clear. But maybe sidewalks would be a more achievable task? In the meantime, expect slipping and sliding as you make your way up and down the Hill on Tuesday. With temperatures in the teens overnight, it's fair to expect many sidewalks will be horrible, icy messes.
8:37PM - Sledding Denny - Looks more like a luge run this year!
8:59PM - Bus crash on Pine - UPDATE and picture from SousDesNouages via the CHS iPhone app:
Pine street between 14th and 15th has been very active tonight. Now, two No. 11 buses are disabled. The one on the right slid down backwards slowly into at least one stalled car on the curb. About 10 minutes later, the bus on the left slammed backward into the bus, apparently at a higher rate of speed, based on the loud crash sound. No recent 10s have gone by, and now it looks like the 11 is out of commission.
9:07PM - Metro again on snow routes Tuesday - Metro says all routes will be on snow plans Tuesday and route 90 will again be in commission http://metro.kingcounty.gov/up/rr/adverseweather.html
9:10PM - Amazon Fresh says no more new Thanksgiving orders - For those of you thinking ahead to Thanksgiving, we're checking on any expected issues at local grocery stores given the worse-than-expected road conditions in Western Washington and across the Pacific Northwest. One early casualty: Amazon Fresh. The grocery service says it is not taking any new Thanksgiving orders because of the weather and is working to reschedule any orders it has already received:
Due to driving conditions from the current storm and approaching cold weather, we are no longer taking new orders between now and Thanksgiving.
9:42PM - More closures in the area - SPD blocking off 23rd Ave from Madison all the way down the hill and 19th Ave E between Boyer and Interlaken.
9:57PM - From @byrongonseth
10:00PM - Blowing snow, icy temperatures - The National Weather Service has updated with a winter advisory through 4 PM Tuesday:


...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM PST TUESDAY...
...WINTER STORM WARNING IS CANCELLED...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SEATTLE HAS ISSUED A WINTER
WEATHER ADVISORY FOR WIND...BLOWING SNOW...AND VERY COLD
TEMPERATURES...WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM PST TUESDAY. THE
WINTER STORM WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

HEAVY SNOW HAS ENDED...BUT STRONG WINDS WILL CAUSE BLOWING AND
DRIFTING SNOW TONIGHT. THERE WILL BE OCCASIONAL LIGHT SNOW
TONIGHT. WINDS WILL REMAIN STRONG UNTIL TUESDAY MORNING.

TEMPERATURES WILL NOT RISE ABOVE FREEZING THROUGH AT LEAST
WEDNESDAY...AND UNDER CLEAR SKIES OVERNIGHT LOWS WILL BE IN THE
TEENS. ICY ROADS WILL BE A PROBLEM UNTIL THURSDAY.
10:14PM - Metro updates -
Routes 10 and 12 are being turned back at 10th Av E and E Aloha St.

Route 11 is being turned back at 19th Av E.

Most streets east of Broadway are very icy.
11:06PM - Olive Way: Bus graveyard - From Darcy:
This is a picture of buses stalled on Olive and the pretty-much-completely-stalled traffic on I-5 N. Taken from my apartment in Olive Tower (just across the freeway from the Hill). I just took it a minute ago. We've been watching this madness out our window for hours, and now we're going to brave the blizzard to walk the 2 blocks to City Market for some Soy Ice Cream. Hope they're open!
11:10PM - Seattle University soldiers on -
@SeattleU will open at 10 am tomorrow morning. Classes before 10 are canceled, classes after 10 are on normal schedule.
11:40PM - Lost envelope full of cash - Somewhere, buried in the snow of Capitol Hill is an envelope full of cash that you will find and give back to OpticN:
Walking home in the snow, I dropped my cashed paycheck. If found, I hope you will be a good person and contact me? I will give you part of my pay check, endless gratitude, and a big dose of good karma.
11:51PM - Metro may cancel some service - Tune in after 4 AM http://metro.kingcounty.gov/up/rr/adverseweather.html
Add Your Comment ( 23 )
Name:
Email:
(will not be displayed)
Subject:
Comment:
or

Sledding Time
Is Denny closed yet? I'm ready for Sledmania 2010.
Comment by JoshMahar
November 22, 2010
RE: Sledding Time
It's slated to be kept open at 'blue level -- one lane bare in each direction
http://www.capitolhillseattle.com/2010/11/15/forecasters-say

But I'm asking SDOT if/when that will happen
Comment by justinc
November 22, 2010
RE: Sledding Time
looked closed to me as there are cars stacked sideways going down
Comment by z
November 22, 2010
RE: Sledding Time
People are sledding down Denny right now as of 8:40 PM
Comment by liam
November 22, 2010
Broadway
is completely stopped.
Comment by JS
November 22, 2010
E Mercer
E Mercer between 12th and 13th is impassable due to stuck cars.
Comment by songstorm
November 22, 2010
E John
Being closed now, 12th to 14th. Just pulled it off my scanner.

Wonder if the SDOT manager on the noon news is still taking credit for keeping the streets clear? (the snow had MELTED!) hahahahah
Comment by Hillrat
November 22, 2010
RE: E John
I can see from my window that E John is blocked off east of 12th Ave. I just checked Metro's transit alert, and #43 is not among the routes showing up for an alert. But if John is blocked off it's obvious that there's no 43 coming either way. If I were relying on the Transit Alerts I could be waiting for a long time wondering why the 43 hasn't come yet.
Comment by aliou
November 22, 2010
cluster4!#&
we just walked to the central district from the madison market area. madison (heading east down the hill) is a major disaster with cars piled up in the street and on the sidewalk. union is equally as bad, and 23rd heading north toward the u-district looked like a parking lot. walking is the best way to go, but avoid the main streets as a lot of cars seem unable to avoid the sidewalks.
Comment by girlvslaser
November 22, 2010
Salt?
Has anyone seen *any* salt or deicer on the roads? I had the scariest commute of my life at 4:00 and I'm so happy I'm not out there now. SALT. NOW.
Comment by Justin
November 22, 2010
Boren closed
They just put the signs up, northbound Boren is officially closed at Union.
Comment by Meghan
November 22, 2010
Boren Avenue
Boren Avenue is also a "blue" street yet it hasn't been plowed all day. It was a steady stream of cars crawling north towards the freeway from about 2:00 until 7:30 when suddenly they all disappeared. I'm wondering if they closed it off at Madison. There are several abandoned cars on the hill between Pike and Union. So much for SDOT's "one lane each direction bare and dry". So far SDOT hasn't done any better than in the storm of 2008.
Comment by Motab
November 22, 2010
wishful thinking
Man, if only this could get me out of work for a day! Alas, I live three blocks away from my job, so it would have to be a pretty extreme blizzard to have any impact on that. Anyway, good updates. This is quite the mess!
Comment by Rachel
November 22, 2010
Just got back!
I was part of the "crack team of citizens" directing traffic and pushing cars on Boren between Union and Pike. I was there from 5:30-8PM and saw 7-8 collisions from cars sliding down the hill. We eventually got the idea of stealing no parking signs from around the neighborhood and managed to block Boren off completely. Tons of people were taking video so I hope the footage makes it up.

So nice to see neighbors coming together to accomplish great things!
Comment by liam
November 22, 2010
RE: Just got back!
Oh, and props for Six Arms across the street for donating two cartons of rock salt to help get drivers unstuck!
Comment by liam
November 22, 2010
caught this on my way home moments before the salt went down
Nearly brought a tear to my eye...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqW_EVoL680
Comment by dod
November 22, 2010
SPD Closing Madison from 23rd east
Trying to get signs now, East Precinct ran out, officers having to go to the ID to get more.
Comment by Hillrat
November 22, 2010
Parking Enforcement
Just curious if anyone knows, but my car is currently stuck in a no-parking zone. Does anyone know what kind of enforcement to expect for tomorrow?
Comment by IllegallyParked
November 22, 2010
No Thanksgiving Turkey from AmazonFresh!
Crap! Just got mail from amazonfresh that they most likely won't be able to deliver my Thankgiving order (which I placed weeks ago). Guess I'll be strapping on boots and heading to QFC with a sled tomorrow.
Comment by Turkeyless Neighbor
November 22, 2010
Denny course definitely open for business
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bu_nhyHyMvw
Comment by Dod
November 22, 2010
snow
Gee, I'm sure glad we got a new mayor so that the snow hasn't caused a little chaos. :)
Comment by morty
November 22, 2010
RE: snow
Gonna be a lot of salt flying around tomorrow, none of it at the roads. Wonder if the mayor is biking to work tomorrow?
Comment by Hillrat
November 22, 2010
Finally!
UW Seattle announced that they're suspending operations tomorrow. A bit late, guys, but better than never. There was no way I was braving the hills to get there tomorrow.
Comment by A
November 22, 2010