If you’re planning to drive to work today, we’ll start by telling you not to. Our commuting plan to downtown today includes a lot of walking, and bundling up since it’s about a 40 minute trip in snow for any point west of 23rd Avenue.
But if you insist on driving, be prepared with the city’s 2010 Winter Weather Map:
It shows that Jackson Street west of 23rd is the only street that is guaranteed to be bare and wet at all times (we haven’t made it over there to verify if that is the case).
23rd Avenue is a Level 2 roadway, where supposedly one lane in each direction will be bare and wet. We have checked that out and it appears to be close to its goal. A northbound lane is slushy with pavement visible, and southbound is a bit worse but cars are making it fine on the flat stretches we’ve seen.
We recommend avoiding all other hilly roadways such as Union and Cherry until more is known about the current conditions.
And of course it may be very difficult to even reach a plowed roadway from your house. Most side streets are solid sheets of ice with only a light layer of snow on top of them.
Be careful!
The roads are terrible – don’t drive. I just got home from my job (in emergency services) and I can tell you it is very, very bad out on the roads. Freeways, side streets, ramps, all of it. Do not drive anywhere unless you’re going to lose your job if you don’t show up or you have a compelling emergency. Walk if you need to get around, or just stay home.
As for Union – there are 10 or 11 buses abandoned at the top. It seems worse than two years ago. My walk home this morning from downtown – lots of spinning tires on all of the Level 2 and 3 streets.
I don’t know about this morning, but when I walked home up Jackson last night at 9pm Jackson was definitely snow and ice covered at that point. There did not seem to be much evidence of plowing or sanding at that time. The few cars I did see seemed to be making it OK along Jackson with some spinning a bit. Buses with chains were doing alright as well.
My partner drove to work in Bellevue around 10:15 this morning – Jackson to Rainier to 90 – and said it was easy going.
Come on down and enjoy the snow if your stuck at home. The hills are perfect for sledding on S. Charles st/ Street/Hiawatha. If the kids are sledding down it. Your car will too. Its a winterwonderland down here. enjoy.
hiawatha business: CAFEWEEKEND.com is open today for snow days. especially if you need a hot drink to warm you up. check their twitter and facebook for updates.
I drove from Jackson & 26th to work in downtown this morning and it was pretty easy going in a 4wd. It was worse coming home yesterday afternoon at 5pm, with cars sliding all over the place. I did see one snowplough, heading east up Jackson this mornign at 7.30am. Roads were quiet and mostly free from ice.
I was pleasantly surprised to catch the #3 at a regular stop this morning, and right on time (MLK and Cherry)! It diverts south at Broadway (then right on Jackson, then 3rd Ave through downtown), but it’s on it’s regular route between Broadway and 34th.