Yes, the winter weather reporting can get out of hand and we’re as guilty of adding to the hype as the next neighborhood news site. Not as guilty as the TV people. But guilty. But after the snow-pocalyptic commute that started last month’s ice down of the city, we wouldn’t be doing our job if we didn’t tell you that this weekend’s “special weather statement” is playing out as predicted and SDOT is making plans for cold conditions starting late Tuesday night and into Wednesday:

SDOT Prepared to Treat Slippery Streets Tonight and Tomorrow

SEATTLE – The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is carefully monitoring weather forecasts for Seattle and planning for snow and ice response accordingly. The forecast is for temperatures just above freezing overnight with up to one-half inch of wet snow possible, and an additional one inch of snow possible tomorrow (Wednesday) morning.

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After 10 p.m. tonight SDOT crews will proactively apply salt brine in roadway areas where frost or black ice is prone to develop, especially on bridges and other elevated structures around the city.

Starting at 4 a.m. tomorrow morning (Wednesday), SDOT spreader trucks will be prepositioned throughout the city, ready to spread rock salt on major arterial streets (primary snow routes, Levels 1 and 2) for the morning commute if conditions warrant.

The snow plan calls for plowing when there is more than one inch of accumulated snow on the roadway, which is not in the forecast at this time.

SDOT will continue to monitor the weather conditions carefully and respond accordingly.

For more information on Seattle’s winter weather response plan and to view a map of snow routes, please see SDOT’s website.

For reference, here are some links you might find useful for keeping track of Metro’s winter weather changes. You can also take a look at our page of Hill traffic cams before you head out.

• Sign up to receive Transit Alerts for the routes you use most often;
   (www.kingcounty.gov/metro/signup)

• Check the print and online timetables for snow route maps;
  (www.kingcounty.gov/metro)

• If the weather is bad, check the color-coded status map on Metro Online before you travel;
  (www.kingcounty.gov/metro/snow)