Photo courtesy King County Metro
UPDATE 2:25pm
King County Metro Transit will be back in service at 4 p.m. on the Emergency Snow Network.
King County Executive Dow Constantine said, "After a historic ice storm, thank you to crews clearing roads and driving buses to get everyone moving again."
Original Post 7:07am
The winter storm that was predicted arrived over night creating extremely dangerous road condition and leading to the suspension of all Metro bus service and cancellation of the West Seattle Water Taxi. A semi/car accident closed the lower Spokane Street Bridge at around 5:30am. It remained closed as of 8:30am.
SEA airport reports all runways were temporarily closed. SEA now reports one has reopened.
King County Metro’s buses are unable to leave bus bases due to deteriorating and unsafe road conditions. We regret the impact on our riders.
Since Metro communicated yesterday its move to the Emergency Snow Network (ESN), fast-accumulating ice and sub-freezing temperatures across King County have worsened and make it impossible for any buses to travel at the present time. Bus service will be added as soon as it is safe for customers and employees.
Other service updates for Fri., Dec. 23
- Access paratransit is suspended today other than for than life-sustaining medical needs. Providers are assessing conditions and icy roads may interfere with additional trips.
- City of Seattle Streetcar is currently suspended on both the First Hill and South Lake Union lines.
- King County Water Taxi’s morning trips today on both the Vashon and West Seattle routes are canceled.
- On-demand services including Community Ride, Community Van, Ride Pingo and Via to Transit are suspended today.
- Sound Transit Link light rail is currently operating.
The National Weather Service Seattle recommends staying indoors and not driving if you can. Cold weather shelter locations are available through the King County Regional Homelessness Authority.
MORE INFORMATION SOURCES
King County Dept.of Local Services, Roads Division – Road conditions in King County (24/7 Road Helpline – 206-477-8100) – Winter weather response map, Winter weather -snow and ice resources
WSDOT for state road conditions – WSDOT Real-time Traffic Map, Snoqulamie Pass Information, Stevens Pass Information
For Puget Sound Energy customers, download the myPSE app to track and report outages, check status and get estimated restoration times, or visit pse.com/outagemap. Get additional information on ways you can prepare and more about how power gets restored at:pse.com/outage/storm-resources and pse.com/outage/how-power-gets-restored
Seattle City Light customers can view and report outages at seattle.gov/city-light/outages. Here are some tips on what to do in case of an outage: seattle.gov/city-light/outages/what-to-do and general outage safety: seattle.gov/city-light/outages/outage-safety. People can also follow SCL on Twitter at twitter.com/SEACityLight or Facebook at facebook.com/SeattleCityLight
Most King County facilities will be closed on Friday, Dec. 23. Check the King County website or contact agencies directly for detailed information about service impacts or to obtain services online. Facilities are expected to re-open on Tuesday, Dec. 27.
Public Health – Seattle & King County‘s PublicHealthInsider.com blog post – How to stay warm and safe when the power is out
Winter weather preparedness information from King County Office of Emergency Management
Sign up for Alert King County for updates on emergencies in the King County area.
For Seattle-specific information, go to AlertSeattle.