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Capitol Hill snow updates: coldest day in 23 years, frozen sidewalks and streets, grocery store reports, more snow?

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More powdery snow fell overnight in Monday morning as Capitol Hill remains encapsulated in snow and ice making getting around a slow and slippery proposition. There is likely more to come. While the official forecast from the National Weather Service remains conservative in its prediction, Seattle’s weather nerd community is getting excited. There will be more snow Wednesday night into Thursday morning. The NWS says somewhere around an inch. Seattle weather nerds? Well, they say more:

UPDATE 12/29/21 8:58 AM: Forecasters say the weather models have solidified on a prediction of around 1″ to 3″ of snow in Seattle starting Wednesday night into Thursday.

The Seattle area is already setting records after the Christmas weekend “two to four inches” storm left the city covered in powdery snow and shivering under sub-30 temperatures. Monday brought record low temperatures to the area including 17 F at Sea-Tac, the coldest here since November, 2010. The high temperature of 24 F — achieved as light snow began falling again Monday night — was also a record low making the day the coldest in the city in 23 years.

As for Sea-Tac, if the streets of Capitol Hill feel unusually quiet, many of your neighbors may still be out of town for the holidays. Seattle’s snowy, icy weather and its impacts at the airport, along with COVID-related staffing issues have helped snarl air traffic up and down the West Coast and across the country with delays and cancellations.

Closer to home, sidewalks around some commercial and residential buildings have been cleared while many have not making getting around increasingly treacherous as snow is packed into ice. Side streets are frozen and mostly uncleared. You’ll want to aim for the city’s “green and gold” snow clearance priority routes if you have to drive. Check the city’s winter weather response map for details.

The city says crews will continue “24/7 operations” as needed and SDOT is reporting that approximately 90% of Emerald and Gold routes are “bare and wet.”

 

Metro has shifted bus service to the Emergency Snow Network, focusing its service to around 60 core routes “that the City of Seattle and other jurisdictions prioritized for snow and ice removal.” Capitol Hill Station and the city’s light rail system remain open. Sound Transit says it works to maintain “normal light rail service” during inclement weather, “although minor delays can occur.”

Many restaurants, cafes, and bars managed to open for business Monday while others opted to sit things out. Check social media accounts or try calling ahead.

The neighborhood’s grocery stores, meanwhile, are showing the strain of COVID staffing issues and the icy weather that has frozen the Pacific Northwest. Some items haven’t been restocked since before the holiday. If you go, get what you need and leave the rest for neighbors, if you can.

The dangerously cold temperatures have also tested the city’s homelessness response. The following facilities have been designated as warming centers and will remain open into the new year:

  • Seattle City Hall, Bertha Knight Landes (Operated by Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle): 600 4th Ave., Seattle, WA 98104. Opened Sunday, December 26 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. as needed through January 2, 2022. 5th Avenue Entry and meals provided by Operation Sack Lunch.
  • Seattle Center Armory, 305 Harrison St., Seattle, WA 98109, Campus Map (seattlecenter.com), Opens daily at 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., 206-684-7200
  • Compass Housing Alliance Day Center (adjacent to night shelter, open as staffing capacity allows), 77 S. Washington St., Seattle, WA 98104, Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., 206-474-1000
    International District/Chinatown Community Center: 719 8th Ave. S., Seattle, WA 98104. Hours vary daily. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday: 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday: 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Saturday: 10 a.m.-7 p.m. (5 p.m. is normal closing)
  • Magnuson Park Building #406: 7400 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115. Printable Park Map. Monday and Tuesday: noon – 8 p.m.; Wednesday, Thursday and Friday: 9 a.m. – 8 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. (normally closed).
  • Northgate Community Center: 10510 5th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98125. Open Monday to Friday: 9 a.m. – 7 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. (normally closed) 206-386-4823.
  • Rainier Beach Community Center: 8825 Rainier Ave S., Seattle, WA 98118. Hours vary daily Monday-Thursday 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. (normally 6:30 p.m.), Saturday 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., 206-386-1925

The city says its providers have also opened six Severe Weather Shelters “to serve community members nightly who are experiencing homelessness.”

“These shelters will be open through the new year,” a Monday afternoon statement from city hall read. “Seattle Center Exhibition Hall hosted 107 guests overnight and Compass Housing Alliance in Pioneer Square hosted 81 guests overnight. Providers are expecting these numbers to increase tonight.”

The city’s Homelessness Outreach and Provider Ecosystem (HOPE) Team “will conduct outreach to community members about shelter options,” including helping people get transport to shelter facilities, according to the statement.

Meanwhile, the pandemic continues to surge with a massive increase in COVID-19 cases in Seattle mirroring major cities across the country. The city says it is working to keep as many testing and vaccination clinics open and accessible as possible but many have reported long lines at the major facilities as smaller locations are not available. The city says SDOT is plowing routes near the facilities and helping to provide fuel for generators. UW-Medicine was reportedly available to open the city’s UW-Montlake, SODO, and West Seattle sites. Elsewhere, scheduled appointments had to be cancelled.

  • Transit: For bus riders, Metro has a website to organize winter weather updates at metrowinter.com. If it gets serious, expect delays in service and some canceled trips as articulated trolley buses may be moved out of service. Sign up for Rider Alerts now. Also be ready for Metro “snow routes.” Capitol Hill Station and light rail can be the most dependable hub in the public transit system during snow events. Sound Transit says it works to maintain “normal light rail service” during inclement weather, “although minor delays can occur.” It will also continue to operate trains overnight after the close of passenger service to prevent ice from forming on the tracks. The First Hill Streetcar can operate in snow not deeper than four inches.
  • Driving: The city’s “green and gold” snow clearance priority routes are here. Remember that side streets will not be cleared and may be covered with snow even when an artery route is clear:

    View the regularly updated SDOT Storm Response Map here

  • Sidewalks: The city reminds that clearing sidewalks of snow and ice in front of buildings and residences is the property owner’s responsibility:
    In Seattle, it’s the legal responsibility of businesses, contractors, and residents to care for sidewalks and other elements of the right-of-way next to private properties and job sites in a timely manner.
  • Alerts and more: For the latest information on the City of Seattle’s response to cold and snow, including plowed roads and power outage information, visit seattle.gov/winterweather.
  • Airport: The FAA’s Sea-Tac status page is here.
  • The highest point on Capitol Hill, Volunteer Park, at 453 feet above sea level, is #5 on the list of Seattle’s highest elevations.
  • Best place to sled (mostly safely) are these CHS Volunteer Park Sled Runs. If it gets nuts, sledding down Denny is part of Capitol Hill legend. Watch out for moving cars of course but some of the most serious injuries come from hitting parked cars. Wear a helmet?
  • Here are a few helpful Twitter accounts:
  • You can also check the CHS Street Cams page before you head out. And the CHS Weather page has the latest reports from local observations. See something others should know about? Email CHS or call/txt (206) 399-5959.
 

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SeattleGeek
SeattleGeek
2 years ago

*grumble* If I wanted this weather I could have returned to Michigan for the holidays.