The most reliable forecasts now say snow is likely in Seattle this weekend. Time to break out your mittens, your sled and, most importantly, the CHS snow archives.
Here are a few choice items of snowalicious utility:
- The highest point on Capitol Hill, Volunteer Park at 453 feet above sea level is #5 on Seattle’s highest elevations.
- Best place to sled (safely) are these CHS Volunteer Park Sled Runs
- When it’s really snowy, daredevils sled on Olive but it also seems like a good way to hurt your head. I kind of want to try Galer but usually not enough snow to make it happen.
- This King County Capitol Hill Elevation map shows the range of elevations across the Hill from 200 ft down in I5 Shores to 300 ft on Broadway and 400 ft above 12th. This is useful for both your snow planning and your small plane piloting. Make a note of it.
- Don’t try to drive down Aloha hill. Pedestrians are not required to help you push your car if you do.
- More places not to even think about driving? Here’s the city’s map of the steepest streets in Seattle.
My household moved uphill in the past year, so we’re hopeful for the extra hilltop snow! It seems like the elevation change between Broadway and 15th is just enough to result in noticeably more snow.
Man, I grew up on 16th between Highland and Galer, and we used to hit that hill HARD. It was (and I guess still is) one of the best hills in the city. My friends and I made it onto the front page of the P.I. by descending the hill on a four-sled, 10-person pyramid (’89 maybe?). My older brother and his friends legendarily made it all the way to Montlake by going through the ravine (Interlaken). Good times.
“legendarily”…great word and great story
I’m not quite sure if I made that word up, but it sure rolls off the tongue nicely. (Check that; it’s real)
All the way to Montlake from Highland & Galer?! That’s crazy! That must have been so much fun! Non-stop?
“What Just Happened?” – http://julianpjones.wordpress.com/
Please don’t slide on streets. It can kill you. In 1989, Norm Maleng’s 12-year-old daughter Karen died, after she collided with parked cars at the base of West McGraw Street in Magnolia. Slide in a park or somewhere else safe.
Tomorrow, the roads will be very icy, so sledding down streets will be especially dangerous. Volunteer Park is a lot safer and the runs are longer. Plus you can usually dodge trees pretty good.