Seattle Area & Snoqualamie Week Beginning Feb/5/2017

Puget Sound Lowlands under a winter storm warning. Snow level falling to near/below 500 feet at various times this week.

Snoqualamie EB is closed as of early Sunday morning due to spin outs and avalanche control but expected to reopen later Sunday morning. Chain control in effect last several days almost 24/7 and with no end in sight.

No sense in trying to wait this one out, but be advised, once you get over into the Seattle coastal areas, there could still be snow/ice issues on and off. I'm going to shower here in Moses Lake then head over to the Ryegrass Rest Area and stage there while checking hotel parking at a few Fife/Tacoma area places and then I guess hopefully get over into Tacoma area sometime early afternoon and watch some football that I'm not all that excited about this year.

Note: The North Bend TA is probably a complete cluster f$#k. No reserved parking available last several days or in the foreseeable future. So you can forget about parking there, I don't care how early you arrive.

..WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM THIS
AFTERNOON TO 4 PM PST MONDAY...

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...1 TO 3 INCHES OF SNOWFALL IS POSSIBLE.

* SOME AFFECTED LOCATIONS...SEATTLE...EVERETT...TACOMA...OLYMPIA
AND MOST LOWLAND LOCATIONS IN WESTERN WASHINGTON.

* TIMING...RAIN IS EXPECTED TO START TRANSITIONING OVER TO SNOW
LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY THIS EVENING...BECOMING MOSTLY
SNOW AFTER 10 PM TONIGHT AND CONTINUING INTO EARLY MONDAY
AFTERNOON.

* MAIN IMPACT...SNOW COVERED OR SLIPPERY ROADS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW
WILL CAUSE PRIMARILY TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SNOW
COVERED ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES... AND USE CAUTION WHILE
DRIVING.

 

Driving by the TA on the way in to Sumner, I heard someone on the CB "Anyone heard when they may remove the chain requirement on EB Snoqualamie?" I didn't know, but looking at the weather forecast I had a feeling it may be several days, at least. I told him he needs to get on over now or kiss next weeks pay check goodbye because you may be in for a very long wait to avoid 40 minutes of work and 30 miles of slow-going.

 

I won't chain/unchain in the dark. The load will just have to accommodate my daylight chaining demands. I'll do what I can to to make sure I get to the pass an hour or two before dark, but otherwise, no chaining for me until daylight resumes.

I'm fortunate in that I can generally make this work but the guys who MUST chain, be it dark or daylight, no matter, have my utmost respect. Yes, I've got the "headlight" setup but that don't mean nothing to me except in extreme life/death emergency.

 

I'm in Sumner watching the game in my room. Every time I look out the window, I see more big snow flakes and fewer rain drops. I hope it stays warm enough the surface streets don't get icy come morning. I'm glad to have a late 10:00 unload appointment but it's only a mile away, however not sure yet about the reload plan.

 

In Sumner, snow just started accumulating on elevated surfaces at the end of the game.