UPDATE: It appears we can relax a bit. Enjoy your "snow" day. Still, expect some. And cold temperatures will mean ice. More below.
Original report: Very little of the prophecy for Tuesday morning played out as planned in Seattle. By the afternoon, much of the snow and ice on sidewalks and streets around Capitol Hill had been rained away. But, still, there are signs of things to come. Workers on the Eastside have started their evacuation following reports of "dumping" snow. Seattle Schools decided to punt on the day entirely as reports of snow from around the region -- but mostly outside Seattle -- roll in. Local weather savant Cliff Mass has backed off the predictions for possible record snowfall on Wednesday but the folks at the National Weather Servicesay"current forecast of 5 to 10 inches still looking good for the Seattle metro area."
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More notes on the forecasts, an updated timeline, some notes on things to do and more pictures, below.
Here's an update of our penciling out of the timeline from all the various information sources. Hard to say if Tuesday's forecasted inches will end up as snow or rain.
Tuesday morning: Freezing temperatures and more snow around Seattle with 1 to 3 inches forecast. The morning commute could be a challenge. Travel notes below.Tuesday afternoon: The calm before the storm. A little warmer with low likelihood of precipitation.- Tuesday night: "a couple of inches"
- Wednesday: 4 to 6 inches
- Wednesday night: more snow but not quite as crazy as first predicted -- UPDATE: And Cliff Mass is "scaling back" the forecast even more...
- Thursday: Um, yeah. More snow
- A tour of Capitol Hill reveals mostly ice and snow free sidewalks and streets as the rain has washed away much of the lingering freeze. LIke any good urban thaw, it's ugly out there with trash and etc. dotting what's left of the dirty, dingy snow.
- While the Hill has been remarkably crime free the last few days, some yahoo found time to tag the Cal Anderson Park reflection pool -- picture above.
- To further bummer the snow party (or give you hope for humanity -- your call!), this is the line from the Central Lutheran food bank earlier this afternoon. Be thankful and lend a hand.
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- To lighten things back up, consider swinging by Liberty on 15th Ave E for a local vodka tasting with the boys and girls from the Stranger. There was also talk of sledding at 13th/Republican -- hope they wait for the snow. And, hey!, it's Taco Tuesday at the Wildrose.
Seattle U hostsCarlotta Walls LaNier of the Little Rock Nine tonight at 7pm.CANCELED. And that's about it except for going to the movies (a fine choice). If you know of other entertainments, let us know in comments. - Reports from the Hill's grocery stores tell tales of pre-armageddon consumerism. Apparently it's busy out there.
- DPD tells us it is canceling Wednesday night's design reviews for two Capitol Hill projects. Sooo, we can tell you about those later, it seems.
- Seattle Public Schools have closed down for the day citing difficulty with bus stops. Many private schools and daycares have followed suit. If you know a Capitol Hill working parent, give them a hug.
- Metro remains on snow routes
- SDOT sanders and de-icing trucks are geared up and ready to patrol. If you are planning to drive, you can check out the latest de-icing and clearing work on the city's new winter weather map. Red routes have been recently plowed and salted. Click for latest updates.
- We broadcast information frequently via Twitter so check out the @jseattle stream for information.
- The CHS Capitol Hill traffic cam page is here.
- PDF maps of priority snow routes for the city are here.
- Monday's coverage | Sunday's coverage
Latest CHS weather coverage
o Metro info
o Hill traffic cams
o City Winter Storm Info
o Seattle SnowWatch
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Tweet details with hashtag #seasnow to appear in this feed:
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3:39PM - UPDATE - The Wednesday storm is expected to hit very early -- around 4a. To make up for the rather dark nature of the rest of this post, here are some shots from the CHS Flickr pool to help you rally for what could be a fun snow day, too.
3:57PM - UPDATE - Oh boy! NWS infographic!
4:50PM - Probably not a huge surprise but school is canceled on Wednesday:
Seattle Public Schools: All schools cancelled for Wednesday, Jan. 18
All after school activities cancelled
All Seattle Public Schools will be closed on Wednesday, Jan. 18 because of predicted winter weather that might make it difficult and potentially unsafe to transport students to schools.
Between five and 10 inches of snow is predicted to fall in south Seattle. All after school events are cancelled Tuesday night and will be cancelled on Wednesday night. This includes games, practices, events, plays, meetings, etc.
The John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence will remain open. Employees are asked to monitor email and voicemail in the morning for any additional news, and to use best judgment when commuting to work. A decision on whether or not to postpone Wednesday’s School Board meeting will be made by noon.
On Tuesday, a change in weather patterns meant Seattle Public Schools had both a two-hour delayed start and a two-hour early dismissal. Interim Superintendent Dr. Susan Enfield apologized for the inconvenience to families, students and staff, but stressed that decisions are made erring on the side of caution.