What Snow??, originally uploaded by Traevynn.

There is a rhythm and routine to it all. Now we know what it’s like to live in Anchorage. Here is a look at the day before Thanksgiving 2010 as the city achieves a record low and heads into more days of freezing temperatures — though a sunny Wednesday could provide a temporary thaw and a chance to get yourself together before temperatures plunge again Wednesday night. As usual, e-mail [email protected] or call/txt (206) 399-5959 with tips, pictures, pumpkin pie offers. Latest forecast, transportation updates and street closures, and news, below.

• Here’s the latest from the National Weather Service — we’re now at ‘Special Weather Statement’ status:

o Latest CHS weather coverage o Metro Adverse Weather Page o CHS: Metro & SDOT snow strategy o Hill traffic cams o Twitter updates

…SUB-FREEZING TEMPERATURES TO LAST THROUGH THANKSGIVING
MORNING…
…TRANSITION TO A MORE TYPICAL WEATHER PATTERN THANKSGIVING
AFTERNOON…

THE VERY COLD AIR MASS OVER WESTERN WASHINGTON WILL KEEP
TEMPERATURES BELOW FREEZING THROUGH THANKSGIVING MORNING. THE
COLDEST TEMPERATURES WILL OCCUR THIS MORNING WITH SOME LOCATIONS IN
THE SINGLE DIGITS. THERE IS A CHANCE WITH THE SNOW COVER THAT THE
COLDEST LOCATIONS IN WESTERN WASHINGTON COULD BE BELOW 0 THIS
MORNING. SEATTLE-TACOMA AIRPORT HAS ALREADY SET A NEW RECORD LOW
WITH 14 DEGREES.

HIGHS TODAY WILL WARM INTO THE 20S AND LOWER 30S WITH SOME MID AND
HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS MOVING THROUGH THE AREA. THE CLOUDS WILL INCREASE
TONIGHT WHICH WILL PREVENT TEMPERATURES FROM DROPPING AS LOW AS THEY
WILL THIS MORNING. MOST LOCATIONS WILL BE IN THE 20S OVERNIGHT
TONIGHT.

ICY ROADS WILL BE A PROBLEM THROUGH THANKSGIVING MORNING. WITH
TEMPERATURES REMAINING BELOW FREEZING COMPACT SNOW AND ICE WILL
REMAIN ON MANY ROADWAYS. FOR FREQUENTLY TRAVELED ROADS…FRICTION
FROM TIRES MAY TEMPORARILY MELT THE SNOW AND ICE ON THE ROAD TODAY…
ONLY TO HAVE IT RE-FREEZE AGAIN TONIGHT.

A WEAK WARM FRONT WILL MOVE BY TO THE NORTH ON THANKSGIVING…
BEGINNING THE TRANSITION TO WARMER WEATHER. THERE IS A CHANCE OF
PRECIPITATION ON THANKSGIVING…BUT THERE IS STILL SOME UNCERTAINTY
AT THIS POINT HOW EARLY ANY PRECIPITATION WILL REACH THE AREA.
PRECIPITATION FALLING DURING THE MORNING WILL MOST LIKELY BE
SNOW…BUT ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE VERY LIGHT. TEMPERATURES WILL RISE
TO ABOVE FREEZING BY THANKSGIVING AFTERNOON CHANGING THE
PRECIPITATION TYPE BACK TO RAIN.

A COLD FRONT WILL BRING RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW TO THE AREA THURSDAY
NIGHT WITH SNOW EXPECTED IN ALL OF THE PASSES.

FOR AREAS THAT HAVE SEVERAL INCHES OR MORE SNOW ON THE
GROUND…THE RAIN THURSDAY NIGHT WILL MAKE ROAD CONDITIONS RATHER
MESSY. PONDING OF WATER ON THE ROADS AS THE SNOW MELTS MAY CAUSE
HYDRO-PLANING PROBLEMS FOR VEHICLES.

A SHOWERY WEATHER PATTERN WILL PERSIST THE REST OF THE
THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY WEEKEND. RAIN SHOWERS OVER THE LOWLANDS WITH
SNOW SHOWERS AFFECTING THE CASCADE PASSES.

• We posted a long list of Seattle city service updates including notes on SDOT’s continued efforts in last night’s update. Here’s an abbreviated version from their Twitter account this morning: “SDOT continues working roads w/ snow fleet. Today will work to prevent refreezing and address trouble spots on Level 3 routes.”
• Here’s the map Andrew Taylor shared with us last night of SDOT street closures around the Hill


View Street closures 11/23/10 in a larger map

• Metro is again on snow route status but says there will be fewer canceled routes today. Check for updates and find your snow route here http://metro.kingcounty.gov/up/rr/adverseweather.html
• Seattle public schools are closed as is the University of Washington. Seattle Central said they would be open — but not until after 10 AM. Still checking on Seattle U.
• Sidewalks: SDOT is reminding everybody of the need to clear your sidewalk. A quick tour of area markets showed rock salt to be mostly bought up but new shipments of ‘eco-friendly’ ice melt available. CHS stocked up at QFC 15th Ave E, if you’re keeping score.
• Fire callouts: We’re still checking in one on what happened but there was a relatively quickly handled fire callout to Ristorante Machiavelli early this morning. Thanks to tipster Scottie for the note on that. There was also a big dispatch to Swedish First Hill just after 5:20 this morning for a report of smoke in the hallways. Turned out, likely cause was electrical work being done by the city outside the hospital. UPDATE: From an eyewitness via Twitter who said her boyfriend mad e the Machiavelli 911 call: “he was walking by and smelled smoke then heard the alarm going off… looked in the window and the dining area was filled w smoke”
• Airport: From reports, sounds like Sea-Tac is running well and airlines have the staff they need to maintain full service. Getting there still requires patience. Bus service off the Hill is a more consistent experience at this point if you are headed for light rail. Driving? You can but if you’ve never dealt with icy conditions, you might want to splurge on a cab. Residential streets are still ice and snow covered but the main arteries are fully navigable and in decent shape except for the closures noted above. I-5 to the airport is open and moving but continuing icy temperatures mean you’ll need to keep it slow and steady.
• Best driving routes: If you are going to drive, aim for the blue and the orange and try to make as much of your trip as possible along the routes SDOT is doing the most to keep clear.
  

  o Service Level 1 ORANGE – bare and wet from curb to curb

  o Service Level 2 BLUE – bare and wet in one lane in each direction

  o Service Level 3 GREEN – deicing treatment on curves, hills and stopping zones.