Update: 7:34 a.m., Friday Dec. 26

Allied Waste/Republic Services is not running residential routes today due to inclement weather in the Seattle area and region. Commercial routes are running to pickup critical services today and Saturday. The department asks businesses to make sure that containers are accessible.

"We appreciate customer understanding and patience as we all experience the emergency scheduling when weather and road conditions prevent safe operations," according to a regional release. "When we are able to resume normal curbside pickup, we will be picking up all materials normally accumulated during the time we have been unable to service our customers."

To minimize the potential for damage and injury, many containers will be overloaded and encased in ice and snow, please ensure the containers are uncovered and not frozen in place. In many areas parked vehicles are not against the curb which blocks our collection vehicles.

Update: 11 a.m., Wednesday Residential garbage, recycling, food and yard waste collection has been delayed in today due to dangerous road conditions. Wednesday residential customers will be collected next Wednesday Dec. 31.

The city?s collections contractors have been running limited commercial routes around the clock this week, providing service urgent commercial accounts where containers are accessible. Service priorities include hospitals, health facilities, grocers and other accounts with severe capacity constraints.

?The collections crews are working around the clock to reach priority hospitals, health facilities, grocers and other urgent accounts with limited capacity,? according to Hans Van Dusen, solid waste contracts manager for Seattle Public Utilities.

?They have about 35 trucks out today in Seattle with full chains and double crews to reach the vital accounts. However, snow accumulation is still hampering access to streets, alleys and many commercial containers.?

Residential collections were suspended Thursday Dec. 18, through today, Wednesday Dec. 24, due to snow fall and road conditions. Limited commercial routes have been run Monday through Wednesday this week reaching approximately 30 percent of the businesses accounts in the city. Contractors are continually inspecting all neighborhoods throughout the day for service opportunities.

Due to the Christmas holiday on Dec. 25, Thursday and Friday customers will be delayed one day. Thursday customers will be collected Friday, Dec. 26, and Friday customers will be collected Saturday, Dec. 27.

Customers whose collections have been delayed by a week can set out double their normal amount of garbage at no additional charge. When setting out extra waste, customers are encouraged to place perishable food items in their collection containers and set bagged non-perishable items next to the containers. Customers who have had their collections missed two weeks in a row can also take their waste to Seattle?s Recycling and Disposal Stations, where it will be accepted at no charge. \

Seattle?s recycling and disposal stations, at South Park and Wallingford, are open today, but will be closed on Christmas Day, Dec. 25, and New Year?s Day, January 1.

Update: 9:30 a.m., Wedenesday Weather forecast from the National Weather Service: snow and rain.

Christmas Eve, Wednesday Rain. High near 36. South southeast wind around 14 miles per hour, with gusts as high as 18 miles per hour. Chance of precipitation is 100 percent.

Tonight; Rain before 10 p.m., then snow showers. Snow level 600 feet lowering to 0 feet. Low around 32. South wind between 9 and 13 miles per hour. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Christmas Day, Thursday Rain and snow showers, mainly after 10 a.m. High near 38. South southeast wind 6 to 8 miles per hour becoming north northwest. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Christmas night; A chance of rain and snow showers before 10 p.m., then a chance of snow showers. Cloudy, with a low around 28. North northwest wind around 10 miles per hour, becoming southwest. Chance of precipitation is 50 percent.

Rain is expected Friday through Tuesday, with highs in the mid 40's and lows in the mid 30's.

Update: 8:45 a.m., Wednesday Today the Seattle Department of Transportation is plowing, de-icing and sanding inbound routes around the city. Three of those trucks are devoted solely to the West Seattle Bridge and the Alaskan Way Viaduct.

The department advises that motorists drive slowly as they move around the city for work and holiday shopping. Arterials are plowed with passable road conditions.

Currently, 18 trucks are plowing, sanding and de-icing city streets.

The city's decision to not use rock salt to de-ice the streets due to its environmentally unfriendly impact to to the Puget Sound, has been a controversial one stranding many people at home as many roads remain impassable.

Crews have been employing sand and de-icer to clear streets during the snowstorm.

Allied Waste/Republic Services is not running any residential service in Seattle this Christmas Eve and just 50 percent of the commercial routes are running.

Update: 5:15 p.m., Tuesday Due to still-icy streets in many areas and the possibility of more snow overnight, Metro will be operating approximately half of its regular weekday service on Wednesday, Dec. 24. 

Please check the Metro Online website and click on the "adverse weather" link, http://metro.kingcounty.gov/up/rr/adverseweather.html, before travel to check up-to-date route changes/cancellations.

"I know these past two weeks have not been easy for our customers or our employees. I hope our customers can be patient for the rest of the week, while we work to get our system back to normal," said Metro General Manager Kevin Desmond.

"I've heard many stories of Metro employees who have gone the extra mile in making sure our passengers get to their destination safely," said Desmond, "and I've heard from many of our customers about their appreciation for the service we're were able to provide during these extreme weather conditions."

Reduced service is expected to continue through at least the end of the week, since Metro had already planned to operate a Sunday schedule on Christmas Day and a "partial holiday" schedule on Friday, Dec. 26. Schedules for those two days may be adjusted, if the weather and driving conditions don?t improve.

A partial holiday features more bus service than on weekends, but somewhat less than normal weekdays with some route or individual trip cancellations. It is the schedule Metro offered this year on the day after Thanksgiving, and will be used on at least 10 days in 2009.

Because Metro traditionally has low ridership during the week between Christmas and New Year's Day, there will be some service adjustments next week as well. If the weather cooperates, most of next week's service will be on the partial holiday schedule. The exception will be Thursday, Jan. 1, which has a Sunday schedule.

Metro routes have focused on serving cleared highways and arterial roads, and major transit centers and park-and-ride lots. Also, the number of buses available for peak service has decreased each day over the past week due to difficulties some coach models experience in the deeper snow or in prolonged icy conditions.

Update: 1:15 p.m., Tuesday The Seattle Department of Transportation has cleared primary arterials to exposed pavement and is now focusing on secondary roads. Feeder and collector routes across Seattle such as Third Avenue Northwest in Ballard, Fifteenth Avenue South on Beacon Hill, Southwest Thistle Street in West Seattle, and Ravenna Avenue Northeast in Ravenna will be repeatedly plowed, sanded and de-iced. City road-clearing crews have remained on a 24-hour schedule since Dec. 18.

As snow plows enter smaller neighborhood streets, residents should be aware that additional accumulation of plowed snow and ice may occur around parked cars. Additionally, drivers who encounter trucks on narrow roadways are advised to provide ample room for the crews to work.

Multiple winter storms created road conditions not seen in more than a decade. The city's initial focus cleared heavily traveled streets such as the Alaskan Way Viaduct, the West Seattle Bridge, Rainier Avenue South, Elliott Avenue West, and Lake City Way Northeast.

With weather forecasts predicting possible snow, the department will continue to monitor primary roads and deploy resources as needed.

Update: 12:50 p.m., Tuesday More than 100 Metro routes are still temporarily suspended, including several in Ballard.

Route 44: Eastbound routes are making no stops between eastbound Northwest Market Street, 8th Avenue Northwest and eastbound north of 46th Street/south of Ohinney Avenue North.

Route 17 is cancelled today. The 28 is not serving Broadview. It operates to and from Northwest 85th Street only.

The 15 has no service north of Northwest 90th Street.

Route 18 has no service north of Northwest 90th Street.

Update; 11 a.m., Tuesday Allied Waste/Republic Services have cancelled its residential routes today. All commercial routes are running and estimated to pickup 80 to 90 percent of today's stops.

Road conditions and weather have prevented the company's from operating safely, according a release just issued.

"When we are able to resume normal curbside pickup, we will be picking up all materials normally accumulated during the time we have been unable to service our customers," the release read.

According to the National Weather Service, this afternoon expect "mostly cloudy, with a temperature falling to around 30 by 5 p.m. Southeast wind around 5 miles-per-hour.

Tonight, snow is likely after 10 p.m. Cloudy, with a low around 28. Calm wind becoming southeast around 6 miles-per-hour. New snow accumulation of less than 1 inch possible.

Wednesday, Christmas Eve, rainshowers before 10 p.m. is predicted, then a rain/snow mix. Low will be around 33.

Christmas Day, Thursday, rain and snow showers predicted before 10 a.m., then a chance of snow showers. Cloudy with a high of 37. A chance of snow showers at night and mostly cloudy, near 31.

Update: 8:40 p.m., Tuesday After a night of freezing temperatures, the Seattle Department of Transportation continues to plow, de-ice and sand major arterials, with two trucks devoted solely to the West Seattle Bridge and the Alaskan Way Viaduct, according to Rick Sheridan, transportation spokesman.

The department still advises that, if driving is necessary, motorists drive with caution and use arterials as much as possible. Road conditions are passable with both clear areas and hard packed snow. Slippery roadway areas and black ice may exist in some spots.

Overnight the department focused on primary and secondary arterials, adding to the primary arterial work completed during the day on Monday. The city currently has its entire winter response fleet plowing, sanding and de-icing city streets.

Update: 5:20 p.m., Monday The power outage below has reportedly been fixed by Seattle City Light crews. It is unclear how long residents in the effected area were without power.

Update: 5 p.m., Monday The first major power outages since the snow storm hit the area are being reported in Ballard from Northwest 80th to the Lake Washington Ship Canal, east to 8th Avenue, effecting about 1600 customers.

Update: 3:30 p.m., Monday With travel conditions still not stabilized, Metro Transit will be offering approximately half of its regular weekday service on Tuesday morning, Dec. 23.

Difficult driving conditions and ten straight days of snow operations are beginning to take their toll on Metro?s bus fleet. The number of buses available for peak service has decreased each day over the past week due to difficulties some coach models experience in the deeper snow or in prolonged icy conditions. There are still many roadways in Metro?s service area that are snow-packed, icy, or closed to travel.

Bus passengers should be aware that travel conditions can change quickly, and this list of disrupted service may be revised at any time due to weather and road conditions. In some locations, where roads are impassable for large buses, Metro will be operating chained shuttles.

Update: 3:22 p.m., Monday Roads are continuing to be cleared around the clock by the city transportation department. So far, no major power outages have been reported.

?Our city workers have put in long hours and shown incredible dedication to public safety during this winter storm,? said Mayor Greg

Nickels in a statement issued by the city. ?We are putting all resources to tackle this once-in-a-decade weather, and will continue our strong response across all departments.

Main arterials, bridges, and other elevated roads near hospitals and bus routes are being de-iced and sanded.

The city continues to deploy its entire winter response fleet of 27 trucks on the streets. Two of those trucks have been assigned to the downtown core. Crews will move to secondary arterials as soon as conditions allow. Due to an ice-related problem with a track switch, the South Lake Union Seattle Streetcar will remain out of service until further notice.

To date, city crews have used more than 6,000 tons of sand and dispersed more than 12,000 gallons of liquid de-icer. The transportation department continues to advise that motorists use caution and avoid driving if possible. If motorists must drive, they are advised to reduce their speeds, transition carefully from side streets to arterials and give snowplowsample room to operate.

Over the weekend, the utility responded to a number of small outages. No more than 150 customers were without power at any one time and crews quickly restored power. Most power loss was caused by either cars hitting poles or trees falling into lines as a result of heavy snow on the branches.

Garbage collection:

Seattle Public Utilities will collect additional garbage at no charge when weather permits the movement of heavy trucks in residential

neighborhoods. When setting out extra waste, customers are encouraged to place perishable food items in their collection containers and set bagged non-perishable items next to the containers.

Customers can dispose of their garbage for free at Seattle?s Recycling and Disposal Stations in South Park and Fremont. Seattle?s recycling and disposal stations are open today.

Single-family residential garbage, recycling, food and yard waste collection has been delayed Monday, Dec. 22, due to dangerous road

conditions.

City collection contractors will attempt to service today?s missed customers Tuesday or Wednesday, if road conditions improve. Customers missed today should leave their containers out tomorrow. If materials are not collected tomorrow, then customers should bring in their containers until next week.

Due to the Christmas holiday, Thursday and Friday customers will be delayed one day. Thursday customers will be collected Friday, Dec. 26, and Friday customers will be collected Saturday, Dec. 27.

Update: 9:33 a.m., Monday Residential solid waste collections are cancelled Monday, Dec. 22 and there will be limited service for commerical customers, according to Pat O'Brien with Seattle Public Utilities.

Contractors will attempt to collect missed customers tomorrow if conditions allow. Transfer stations will accept waste from missed customers at no charge.

Update: 8:30 a.m., Monday Metro has temporarily suspended 128 of its routes, including several in Ballard

Route 17 and 28 are cancelled today.

The 15 and 18 has no service north of Northwest 90th Street. Route 44 is operating its regular route.

Update: 10:22 p.m., Sunday The King County Road Services Division is cautioning motorists to prepare for snow, ice, and slick roads as they head out for Monday morning's commute.

Road crews are continuing to clear snow from roadways, focusing on main arterials.

Commuters heading out in the morning should make sure they are prepared with warm clothing and emergency supplies in their vehicles.

This recent record snow is bringing some challenges. A small shovel may be handy if your vehicle gets stuck in the wet snow that has been falling. Also, watch for snow dropping from trees hanging over the roadways. It can land on your car with a loud noise that you may not be expecting.

Be sure and clear off the snow and ice from your car before you head out, otherwise it can cover the back windshield, obscuring your vision. Early morning commuters should remember to use their low beams, high beams will disperse in thick snow, making visibility worse for you and other drivers. Another reminder: Don't follow snow plows or sanders too closely. The best all-around advice, give yourself plenty of room to stop because snow and ice driving can be very unpredictable.

Update: 5:30 p.m., Sunday Transportation officials are warning residents to prepare for an icy commute Monday morning and to expect continuing limited bus service, as three to six more inches of snow is expected.

The storm that hit the region dumped nearly five inches of snow in Seattle Saturday through Sunday morning.

Thousands are stuck at Seatac Airport due to cancelled and delayed flights and Alaska and Horizon airlines have cancelled all flights today due to a shortage of de-icer fluid.

Twenty-seven snow plows removed snows and ice throughout the day on many of Seattle's major arterial streets, bridges and areas near hospitals as snow continues to fall into Sunday afternoon.

King County Metro Transit will be operating approximately half of its regular service Monday morning, Dec. 22, because of ongoing difficult travel conditions due to heavy snowfall over the weekend. Also, roads throughout King County are expected to be dangerously icy Monday morning.

Please check the Metro Online website before you leave home to see if your bus route is operating and if it is on snow routing.

As it enters its 10th day of snow operations, Metro plans to operate with a level of service similar to last Friday.

On Monday morning, about half of Metro's and Sound Transit's bus service in King County will be temporarily suspended due to weather and road conditions. If the roads clear during the day, Metro plans to add more service on the routes in operation.

Metro's operations have been impacted by the weather throughout King County, but the hilly streets and amount of snowfall inside the city of Seattle have made travel in the city unusually difficult. Also, in many areas travel lanes have been restricted, which is slowing down both buses and general-purpose traffic.

Bus passengers should be aware that travel conditions can change quickly, and this list of disrupted service may be revised at any time due to weather and road conditions. In some locations, where roads are impassable for large buses, Metro will be operating chained shuttles.

Metro is focusing on providing bus service on cleared highways and arterial roads, and to major transit centers and park-and-ride lots.

Passengers should be prepared to board buses at major transit centers, flat arterials, or at the top or bottom of hills. The buses that are running are expected to be significantly delayed.

This transit plan will continue until weather and road conditions improve, which means almost all bus service will be significantly limited. Metro appreciates everyone's patience, and reminds customers that safety for passengers and bus drivers is the agency's No. 1 concern.

Update: 8:25 a.m., Sunday Once again due to the weather and dangerous driving conditions, King County Metro Transit will be operating approximately half of its normal bus service for Sunday, Dec. 21.

Ballard routes 15 and 18 have no service north of Northwest 85th Street. Route 17 and 28 have been suspended.

Route 44 is operating its regular route.

Check the Metro Web site before leaving home to see if your bus route is operating and if it is on snow routing; and note that travel conditions can change quickly so the list of disrupted service may be revised at any time due to weather and road conditions.

Heavy snowfall in the past 24 hours, particularly in the Seattle area, has closed roads and made travel difficult.Metro is focusing on providing bus service on cleared highways and arterial roads, and to major transit centers and park-and-ride lots that normally have Sunday service.

As of early Sunday morning, Metro plans to offer its Seahawks shuttle service to Qwest Field from Eastgate Park-and-Ride in Bellevue, Northgate Park-and-Ride in North Seattle, and the South Kirkland Park-and-Ride.

These shuttles will begin service at approximately 11 a.m. Fans should expect crowded conditions on the shuttles, and should give themselves plenty of time to get to the game because the buses may be delayed by road and traffic conditions.

Another transit provider handles service from the Federal Way and Kent park-and-ride lots, and does expect to provide shuttle service from those locations today.

For regular Metro service on Sunday, passengers should be prepared to board buses at major transit centers, flat arterials, or at the top or bottom of hills. Please dress warmly, wear appropriate footwear, and be prepared to wait. The buses that are running could be significantly delayed by road and traffic conditions.

Check Metro's Snow & Ice page, wivh is updated frequently, http://metro.kingcounty.gov/up/rr/adverseweather.html.

Update: 6 p.m., Saturday Mayor Greg Nickels has announced that a fleet of 27 snow plows are clearing Seattle roads and seven utility repair crews stand ready to respond as a winter storm hits the region.

Two trucks will be dedicated to the West Seattle Bridge and the Alaskan Way Viaduct

The city of Seattle activated its Emergency Operations Center at 2 p.m. on Saturday, coordinating responses by the Department of Transportation, Seattle City Light, Seattle Public Utilities, Human Services, Police, Fire and Parks departments.

Snow and ice removal crews will continue clearing arterial roads through the night. Road conditions may become icy tonight as

temperatures drop.

The Seattle Department of Transportation is urging residents only to drive if necessary.

A primary concern tonight is expected to be high winds, particular in east King County. At this hour, there are no power outages within the city of Seattle, but City Light is prepared to call in as many crews as needed if conditions change.

Three severe weather shelters remain open at least through Monday night: City Hall, Frye Hotel, and Seattle Center Pavilion B. Shelter beds are still available. Last night, 143 people stayed at the three shelters. During the day, Seattle residents can find warm, public space at Parks Department community centers and the Seattle Center. The following community centers will be open on Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.: Garfield Community Center, Rainier Beach Community Center, South Park Community Center, Rainier Community Center and Hiawatha Community Center.

Seattle's recycling and garbage transfer stations will be closed tomorrow. Solid waste customers who were missed for pickup today should bring in their containers until next week.

Seattle Public Utilities reminds residents to prepare water pipes for cold weather. Shut off outside faucets, drain the water and protect them by insulating them with rags or foam covers. Pipes in exposed or unheated areas (attics, basements and garages) should be wrapped with tape and insulating materials, available at local hardware stores.

Drain and remove all outdoor hoses, and shut off and drain in-ground sprinkler systems.

Residents are also urged to protect indoor sink pipes that are against exterior walls, by opening under-sink cabinet doors, allowing heat to circulate. During severe cold, allow the faucet farthest from your front door to slowly drip cold water. Set your thermostat no lower than 55 degrees Fahrenheit, day or night (even if you are away).

If a water pipe breaks, immediately close the main shut-off valve to stop excessive flooding. If you cannot turn off the main shut-off valve, Public Utility customers can call (206) 386-1800 and a crew will turn off the water at the meter for a standard service charge.

Update: 4 p.m., Saturday City Light preparing high winds

Seattle City Light has issues a winter storm warning for Saturday, Dec. 20.

?We are concerned about the possibility of some high winds hitting our service area late this afternoon,? City Light Superintendent Jorge Carrasco said. ?We are holding some crews to be ready for what may hit us later today. Our fleet is chained up and fully equipped in order to respond to possible outages. We are prepared for the storm that will pass through the area later today. Snow is generally not a problem for power delivery, however, severe cold, ice and wind can become a problem for us.?

City Light reminds customers to be safe and what to do if they do experience a power outage::

Do not get within 10? of any downed wire. Wires should always be assumed to be ?live? and dangerous. If someone seeks a downed wire, they should call 684-706-0051;

Do not use a barbecue grill or generator inside the house or in a garage that is attached to the house. Do not use a grill or generator near a home air intake vent or near windows;

Do not use fossil fuel burning auxiliary heating sources;

Have an emergency power outage kit available and well-stocked. Make sure all batteries are fresh. To find out what to put into a kit, go to www.takewinterbystorm.org

Know how to manually override electric garage doors, security doors and gates;

Have a land line phone or fully charged cell phone available - cordless phones won?t work when the power is out;

Unplug electrical appliances if the power goes out so that when the power comes back on, there won?t be a surge that could damage sensitive electronic equipment;

Use battery-powered flashlights - not candles or oil lamps;

Close doors, windows, curtains, and unused fireplace dampers to retain heat if there is an outage.

Update: 4:27 p.m., Friday Ballard Metro Transit routes, 17, 15, 18 and 28 have no service north of Northwest 85th Street.

Route 44 is operating its regular route.

Update: 2:40 p.m., Friday High winds forecast this weekend may lead to power outages in some parts of the city.

"We can't predict which neighborhoods if any may lose power, so we want to encourage all residents of King County to have a plan about how to stay warm and safe during adverse weather," said Dr. David Fleming, director and health officer for Public Health, Seattle and King County. "If possible today, stock up on supplies you may need during the weekend and think about how you will stay warm and safe during a possible outage."

Given the cold temperatures, Public Health advises all residents to take steps to stay safe and warm and especially to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.

"City crews have been working around the clock making great progress on our main roads, but drivers still need to be extremely cautious getting around town,? said Mayor Greg Nickels in a statement just released. ?We ask drivers to be patient and use their best judgment especially on Seattle?s steep hills.?

Crews operating 20 plow and sanding trucks remain on 12-hour shifts and will continue working through the night. An additional 40 personnel worked through the day to clear sidewalks and stairways near critical pedestrian locations, such as hospitals and food banks. As temperatures are expected to drop significantly later today, roadway surfaces may refreeze. The city will continue to monitor pavement conditions closely and will again put priority on primary arterials, especially the West Seattle Bridge and the Alaskan Way Viaduct, if conditions worsen.

While the strongest winds are expected to hit the Cascades and foothills, the Seattle area could see sustained winds of 20 to 30 mph, according to the National Weather Service.

Public golf courses, Interbay, Jackson Park, West Seattle and Jefferson Park are closed.

If power goes out, the County recommends the following:

Keep the doors closed on your refrigerators and freezers as much as possible. This keeps the cold air inside. A full freezer can stay at freezing temperatures about two days; a half-full freezer about 1 day.

If you think the power will be out for several days, try to find some ice to pack inside your refrigerator. Remember to keep your raw foods separate from your ready-to-eat foods.

Refrigerated foods should be safe as long as the power is out no more than a few hours and the refrigerator/freezer doors have been kept closed. Potentially hazardous foods, such as meat and fish, should be discarded if they warm up above 41