E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSS
wsdot.wa.gov
This traffic camera image shows crews responding to an overturned car on State Route 599 north of Seattle, Wash., on Thursday.
SEATTLE -- A day after a major Pacific storm covered Washington state in snow, the Seattle area on Thursday dealt with a new menace: an ice storm that shut down the airport and toppled trees -- cutting power to some 200,000 homes and businesses, cutting off roads and taking the life of a man on his ATV.
Some commuters gingerly tried to make it to work as a freezing rain iced over roads, but others stayed home.
Several major roads were cut off by fallen trees weighed down by ice and snow. Near Issaquah, a suburb east of Seattle, a man on his ATV was killed by a falling tree, NBC affiliate KING5.com reported.
Gov. Christine Gregoire declared a state of emergency by late morning, a move that would allow her to deploy National Guard troops if needed.
The National Weather Service used the Emergency Alert System to break into Thursday morning broadcasts with an ice storm warning until noon for the Seattle area and southwest Washington. That was later extended to 2 p.m.
A mix of snow and ice was expected Thursday afternoon and overnight before warmer temperatures bring rain and the possibility of flooding.
Time lapse video shows the snow falling Wednesday on Seattle.
Downed trees also led to the outages, and many customers might not see power back for days.
"We think it will be 3 to 4 days … maybe longer," Puget Sound Energy said on its Facebook page, adding that it was dealing with 500 outage locations.
Sea-Tac Airport closed early Thursday so that its three runways could be de-iced. Two runways had reopened by midday, but many airlines reported flight cancellations.
Lines hundreds of people long snaked around nearly every ticket counter, with many passengers on their cell phones as they tried furiously to rebook their flights. Reader-boards showed the vast majority of flights canceled or delayed.
At Snoqualmie Pass just east of Seattle, Interstate 90 closed Thursday morning for avalanche control.
Freezing rain and ice pellets caused numerous accidents in the Seattle area, where drivers are mostly inexperienced with driving in snow or ice. The last widespread freezing rain in Seattle was in December 1996, said meteorologist Jeff Michalski at the Weather Service office in Seattle.
On Wednesday, downtown Seattle saw two inches of snow but Olympia, the state capital, got 11 inches and other areas were also in double digits.
The Washington State Patrol said it responded to more than 700 accidents on Wednesday.
It may not have been the disaster some were predicting, but the winter storm shut down much of the region. NBC's Miguel Almaguer reports.
Thursday's forecast was for a mix of snow and rain, and the Weather Service warned that urban and small stream flooding was possible Friday, when another, albeit milder, storm was expected to hit the state. Rain and temperatures in the 40s would start melting snow on the ground.
STORY: Child drowns, mom presumed dead in storm
The National Weather Service also issued flood warnings for several Oregon rivers and several roads were closed because of flooding in Salem and nearby Turner and Scio.
Authorities called for voluntary evacuations of the town of Mapleton, Ore., which has about 1,000 residents, and some nearby areas because roads are expected to flood.
Don Ryan / AP
Downtown business are protected from flood waters with sandbags in Scio, Ore., on Thursday.
Residents of 22 homes were urged to evacuate near tiny Lewisburg, Ore., about 80 miles south of Portland, due to unstable land and a landslide.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
More content from msnbc.com and NBC News
Leave a Comment:
Interesting on the pick-and-choose mentality of major news and weather organizations. Here in Great Falls, MT we haven't been above zero in over 60 hours - haven't been above 10 F in 84 hours! - and there's no mention of the hammering winter is giving us. Granted, we get these events several times a year, but the weather organizations want us to marvel that it is actually snowing somewhere during the winter months.
Well Ray, that's because they don't believe life exist East of the Cascades (or in your case, the Rockies).
We in Spokane deal with the Pungent Sound goofballs all the time.
It's because over here you don't buy studded tires, or chains until the last minute, oh and the drive to work is normally uneventful, so buying smaller cars based on gas milage is far more common, not even thinking of weather it is front or rear wheel drive. Half the people over here just stay home on the few days it snows a year, so they don't worry to much about it. Just grip when it does happen.
Yes we in Spokane get snow and ice storms but rarely make the news.
Hate to tell them - the "Pacific Northwest" encompases more than just Seattle and Portland :)
I lived in Olympia in 96 and that ice strorm left us witout power for two weeks and the top thirty feet of a hundred foot pine in my bedroom. It is not a pretty picture when ice storms hit. Now live in CDA and you just expect cold and snow this time of year, so it's not that big of a deal to anyone. 12" of snow on my back deck in the last two days. Gotta love it!
Thanks you Indio! Now if we can only make the Pundgent Sound folks pay for their own ferry systems, floating bridges, monorail, etc. But that's a different story.
It's bigger news because this city doesn't prepare itself very well for it, and for the fact that it doesn't happen very often. I have lived in Denver where it really snows and that city is on top of things the night before, blanketing the roads with de-icers and an army of snow plows in wait. So no, a location where it gets really cold and snowy more often is not going to make the headlines.
bitter much, Julie-401527? You don't like it, move. I promise, we don't bite...hard.
Good luck and stay warm to all my friends on the East Coast...
I live in Denver, but am working in Seattle. I drive 15 miles each way to work every day. Yesterday and today the weather was so bad I had to put my truck in 4WD for a block.
Since western WA has about 78% of the state's population and pays a corresponding amount of taxes, I believe they do. ...and the monorail is owned by the city, your not funding that 49 year old thing. You could always endorse another bill to split the state east/west and pay for your own roads/bridges/ and schools. :)
Kind of makes you think , it's winter....convinced yet..?
Wait, are you complaining because you aren't on the news for having *gasp* expected snow?
Is there nothing else to complain about?
You aren't bitter at all Julie. Are you upset because Spokane is pretty much a nonfactor city in Washington state. You mention Seattle or Puget Sound and people are familiar with it. Someone says Spokane and people are shrugging their shoulders. Sorry you are so bitter. Move if you hate Washington State so much. Do the rest of the people in the state a favor.
So glad that I live in Florida and don't have to deal with that stuff anymore. Didn't like it even when I was a kid. Stay safe everyone who is affected.
I'm from far Northeast Washington 2 hours north of Spokane, and I'm in Seattle working at headquarters this week. I'm used to driving in snow and we live on the north face of a mountain, but I will tell those of you that are trying to compare the snow from our side of the state to what I'm seeing in Seattle, its an entirely different game over here. The snow is very wet. Not the dry snow we get. The wet snow in combination of the hills in Seattle, and the lack of equipment, makes for an entirely different experience. I actually parked my rental, and have been walking to work.
Hey, Ray, how many flights to and from your local airport daily? Six and five?
How many major companies are headquartered in Great Falls?
More people are without power in Seattle than there are people in your town. Times three.
Sorry you're jealous Seattle is a bigger deal than you are. =p
On a separate note, I hope it warms up for you ... that sounds miserable!
(it won't let me post links - you can Google the GF airport's website, and Wikipedia has a list of companies headquartered in Seattle)
errr as for the rental, why not swap in for a snowmobile :-)
I worked in Seattle for two + years. Born and raised and live in NJ (Thank God). I have never in my life dealt with such driving wusses whilst in Seattle. 99.9% of the diver's there are SO Afraid to go over 54 MPH for one thing and secondly they can't drive even in the rain. I saw more cars - Subaru's (people) in ditches then I have ever seen in a normal rain storm in NJ (Most Densely Populated State in the USA).
I'm sorry to say this about my fellow Americans but Seattle Metro Drivers suck... Just Sayin... Thank God I'm back in a place where people have exceptional driving skills - The North East USA!
flash8, you must not have experienced a storm quite like this one. The problem here is that we seldom experience snow on top of ice on top of snow. When you live in a very hilly area like the Seattle area, things get very, very dangerous.
@flash 8
Oh no you didn't! You must be joking, or high, or something! You are actually claiming drivers in the NE are good! WTF, your crazy! I lived in NJ for 5 years, every winter, there were at least 3-4 SUVs flipped over on the side of the road from some NJ moron thinking buying an SUV meant they could drive 70 in the snow. NY metro drivers (including the most populated areas of NJ over the river) are THE WORST drivers in the country. I once saw a guy literally reading the newspaper while driving down the road in NJ.
While Seattle drivers may have some issue, it pales in comparison to the kind of idiocy you see on the roads in Jersey.
Please... All the dam Hippies and do-gooders wont even pass someone on a warm sunny day (Mid July - Mid September)! Plus living in a place where its considered rude to politely "honk" your horn at someone is absolutely ludicrous to me. Plus I laughed at the Seattle-ites waiting for the light to turn green before they would cross a one-way street when there weren't any cars for blocks while in the pouring rain!! I would wink at the fools standing there like zombies and I could feel their contempt as I made my way through them. East Coast Mentality, I wait for no one....
NJ is sandwiched between NYC, NY/PHILA , PA + Baltimore, DC, Boston etc and 120,000,000 million + people. Your going to tell me that NJ drivers are worse then the limp wristed Seattle folks who drive in an area of maybe 1,000,000 people? We get feet of snow some winters at a time.
Please Fire God, lay off the Vancouver Green Bud...
they lost power? oh no! i thought Seattle was liberal state with windmills and solar panels
and green energy and cars that don't use gas and socialist utopia? oh no! you mean the
OBOMBO green agenda isn't working? no fairyland of green companies with no pollution
drives cars that run on fairy farts and green grass everywhere and food grows naturally
and feeds everybody and the weather is perfect you can live outside and fairies make
cookies in trees and elephants and pigs fly and Pelosi is the beautiful woman in the World
and OBOMBO is King and Michelle is Queen? no say it's true!!!!
yes, lets start blaming snow on Obama. How little is your mind pal? Please grow up
Another moronic comment. Solar or wind energy still would need power lines to get the energy to the end user. Since the poster wants to bring politics into the discussion maybe Bush II can flyover to see if everything is okay much like his fly over of New Orleans or better yet he could declare war because Washington has WMDs. John Boehner could cry for them
don't know about obama, but it is worthy to note that alternative power sources do not work any better than the older sources when the weather is like this.
btw, i used windpower at my place in colorado, and during an ice storm, nothing works. ----- thank goodness, i had a woodstove for back-up heating. ----- one of the advantages we had, however, via our electrical cooperative, was that the power lines were all buried, so you only had to be concerned if the weather got dicey where the lines were still above-ground.
It looks like you have the winning idiotic comment of the year. It's only January, so I'm sure you can outdo yourself.
Don't feed
GoodvsEvilthe TROLL.That's some funny stuff right there, I don't care who you are.
You hit the nail on the head. Screw these liberals.
GoodvsEvil <<< Marked as an idiot due to the ridiculous comment. The use of hydroelectric power here (or any other power sources used) has nothing to do with these events.
GoodvsEvil,
That was funny....Fairy Farts..LOL LOL
GoodvsEvilGoodvsEvil - Ignorance is NOT a virtue you racist piece of $hit.
Please note that while the city of Seattle only had five inches of snow, the real story is South of Seattle, Tacoma, Lacey, Olympia, etc., where they saw 14 to 20 inches of snow (the most that has fell in one day since 1972); as well as North of Seattle.. Now freezing rain on top of it. It is not pretty. Seattle news is reporting the totality of the situation that is affecting all of Western Washington. Please report it as such!
Ray M - I disagree with your input. Reporting is done when something is unusual. Not a common occurance. No one reports of all the rain in So. America or in the east unless it is horrendous or causes havoc.
I lived in a suburb of Seattle for exactly 365 days in 1974-75. That winter we had snow. From experience I can tell you that they are not well-equipped to handle ice and snow. The rest of my year in Pugetopolis was pretty much normal. Summer came and left on the Fourth of July. I left on the 10th.
What I have found to be the best way to drive on snow and ice is to STAY HOME! Helloooo
i agree.
The REAL news are the areas of the country where the Native Americans have been asked to perform Snow Dances to ask their Native American Spirits to bless the Snow Spirits and bring snow to the mountains.
It seems the white eyes are desperate for the Native Americans to perform the cultural rituals that once were outlawed.
Worst ice storm by far in 40 years of living in the same spot---- and it continues. Just waiting for the power to go off. Got a generator this time around
Weather service blew this one. An ice storm certainly was not predicted last night
I live in Seattle, and the storm is really bad. I can hear trees snapping like every minute because of the freezing rain. The Seattle metro area has lots hills in it. With limited snow equipment and people living between sealevel to like 1000 feet, it is far worse than snow in a flater area like the east coast. Not because of the amount of snow, but because of the situation. We usually only get like 1 inch a year, so getting 10 inches+ is huge here and basically shuts down the city of Seattle. Unless you live in the Pacific Northwest, this probably does not make any sense.
I've lived in Kansas. I've lived in Utah. I've gone to bed with bare ground and gotten up to a car buried under 3 feet of snow as a normal winter day. In states that are used to this, you dig out enough to get in the car, and then plow your way through it in 2nd gear.
Now I live in Seattle, and I can tell you - I would rather have 3 feet of snow in Kansas thatn 3 inches of snow and ice in Seattle! Unless you live here, with all the hills, in an area that doesn't see this kind of weather on a normal basis... In a city that doesn't have a snow plow or salt trucks for every road..... you WON'T get it.
Call us wimps, but only after you try getting down my 40 degree driveway with 1/2 inch of ice on it. OR going down the 1/2 mile long hill outside my neighborhood with 6 inches of snow and ice on it. Or the 90 foot evergreen trees with a root system only 18 inches below ground that can't bear the weight and are snapping like kindling. Unless you live here, you really won't get it.
I agree Karen - I live in Michigan but went to Seattle/Tacoma this summer to visit our new granddaughter. After seeing downtown Seattle - I wouldn't want to be driving there either right now. I'm in a wheelchair and my husband had all he could do to get me to the Pike St market area - definately not a handicap-friendly area either.
Having lived here for more than 40 years, we tend not to be prepared for this kind of thing, because it happens so seldom. I live in Kirkland and the storm is just lightly falling here so its not so bad. The problem I have with living here is they should start getting used to the fact that this will happen more often than not. They need to start investing in better snow removal, espically on hills, and get their butts in gear before it happens not wait until after. I just hope it starts to rain soon. I've been kept at home for 5 days and I Want Out!
Could be like it was in the 30's and 40's in Seattle and North Seattle my family has pictures my mom took of snow measured in feet during those years 10" then would have been nothing.
'
You ain't kiddin'. I lived on Queen Anne Hill in the 90's when this happened, and worked at the bottom of the hill. We didn't even TRY to get to work 1/2 mile away. It was sure death. My friends on the East Coast just didn't get it, but anyone who's seen snow on ice on snow in that area knows fear. I couldn't even get to my mailbox without ice grips. I do remember something great about that time, though: Seattleites will go to great lengths to help each other AND to make a good time out of anything, so I'm not worried about them :)
dragonmar2, I've been in Kirkland over thirty years (raised here) and I'm frustrated that Kirkland doesn't use snow plows. They could at least take care of the main thoroughfares.
Seattle, at least, has plows and deicer!
Having come from the Hudson River valley and spending time in Colorado each year I know that the changing of the seasons and a pristine white snowfall can be quite beautifull in many places around the country. Seeing what some others are struggling with today, however, I'm simply thankfull for spending winters in the southwest where I can pick an orange off the tree in the backyard or have a cup of coffee on the patio in January. My prayers and best wishes to everyone out there who is feeling the wrath of 'old man winter'. Stay warm, keep your spirits up and if you must travel please drive carefully.
Best Wishes and Peace To All
Desert SW is nice but give me Corpus Christie in January instead
Yeah, gotta love Texas! This week in San Antonio we've been in the high 70's and even hit 87 last week. Today, 76 and tons of sunshine! Winter, what winter?
Texas in January - sure it's nice.
Texas in July - August when it's 1000 degrees. No thanks
I'd rather be in the northwest...
So thats why Texans are so messed up. All that heat has addled your brains. That explains everything!
I'm only partially kidding.
I feel sorry for them. Their houses aren't built for this.
I lived in 4 different houses up there during a bad snow fiasco in the '90's, and the only thing we could depend on WAS the houses! Their construction standards are definitely up to snuff.
Maybe all the greenies can just go outside and plug there house into a current bush.
Hooray for the "ignore this author" button!
Double checked my weather records of 40 years. Not even a peep about an ice storm. There is now! Now sleet is piling up on the frozen 1/2 inch crust
That will be a tough run. I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy. Okay I might, but only my worst enemy!!
We got 10 - 12" at Christmas here in West Texas, but that is not like the ice storms which is what we usually see!!
Pretty sure there was a nasty ice storm in 96. Unless i hallucinated the snapped tree in my bedroom and no power for two weeks. (I lived on Cooper Point past Evergreen College in Olympia.) Better check your records.
MB, that's for real; I was there.
I have lived in the area for most of my like on both sides of the cascades. Yes on the eastern side we get lots of snow and ice but it is not a common occurence for the Puget Sound area to get winter weather this severe. It happens and the media and local government know it. The news is reporting the total effects of this weather event and passing information from state and local agencies to the people in a responsible manner. There are a number of people who were prepared but a large majority were not. The population here has been urged to remain at home unless you absolutley have to go out and had been warned in advance that this event was coming. I made sure I had food, water and dry clothes and will be fine.
Those of you who are calling this "not news" because you are out side of the region affected beacuse you are used to and prepared for these types of weather events need to realize that this in NOT normal for the Puget Sound region. At least this time around the things learned from the 2008 and earlier events are being applied.
For those of you affected stay safe and warm and see you when this all melts away.
It is news! These are the types of storms we tend to have in NC. Driving on snow vs ice are two different things. 4 wheel drive on ice is still 4 wheels on ice and very dangerous. People make fun of the south because when they call for inclement weather there is a run for bread and milk at the grocery store....We've had storms that kept us trapped inside for days at a time or without power for weeks at a time. They are rarely that sever but being prepared helps weather the storm!
ladeeda, yes! I've never been there but I already knew that because even here on the west coast we hear about it every time NC has one of those wicked storms. My mother always said, "Why do they live there, then?" and my aunt always replied, "to avoid our earthquakes."
2012.....A sign of what's to come???
12/21/12...
Welcome to what it's like to live in Alaska. Unfortunatly people up here think they can drive as normal because most people have 4 wheel drive. What they forget is that it doesn't help them stop. We are fortunate in that most people use studded tires but when it's that icy out it's best to just stay home. Be careful out there everyone!!!!
I've done three jobs in Fairbanks. Up there the fire department has a special winter squad that drives around the city and breaks dogs loose from fire hydrants.
Amy in Anchorage: Having spent six years assigned to Fort Richardson and Fort Wainwright and yes you are correct. I drove of all things a Ford Pinto but I had studded snow tires and never got stuck. What people don't seem to account for is when you live in an area that this is outside the norm and you have no equipment to deal with it, it will become more of a problem than in areas that get this kind of weather regularly. When I retire I intend to sit on the Jetty at Seward with a line in the water and a cooler full of beer!
I lived in Seattle, downtown for three years even through the snow storm a couple of years ago. They do not have the infrastructure for this, they do not typically get hammered very often so they do not invest in extreme snowfall infrastructure. The worst part is Everything in Seattle is on a hill, either uphill or downhill and the bottom of the hill is Elliot's Bay. Those uphills kind of suck on a 60 degree day with sunshine, can't imagine iced over...
I'm loving where I live. Seattle is one of the most beautiful places in the world. A couple days of difficult weather is an easy trade off fo me!
Too right. I miss that town like you don't even know.
In NC we get some snow storms but mostly we get ice. It is a scary when the ice is so thick the trees crack and snap from the weight. Prayers for the safety of all affected by the storm.
No folks you can't imagine. I live in Auburn, East of Tacoma at 800 feet elevation, it started with 6" snow, then another 8" followed by ice, totally frozen in. Tree branches snapping and constant power surges...NOT FUN. Lived in Fairbanks Alaska for several years and snow is 8 months out of the year and just the way of life, not here, everything shuts down.
BURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!
I have lived in Northern and Southern Idaho, and spent several years in the "winter tundra" of Wisconsin. Now north of Seattle, I can tell you this area isn't prepared. The reason is this area - as several others have stated - doesn't get this kind of a winter beating. You are on the coast and sandwiched between mountain ranges. I am used to driving in severe weather, but wasn't even able to get out of the driveway of my apartment complex due to the ice. I have 4 wheel drive, but anyone who owns one will tell you, it doesn't guarantee you can get around in this type of weather. Last year (my first year here), we had maybe a week of bad winter weather and everything shut down. Then, it was back to the normal weather pattern. Fiscally, you don't poor thousands of dollars on equipment you "may" have to use in the event of severe weather. Now, as the global weather changes over time that may change. However, in areas that do not experience these types of winters, it is considered news - much to the chagrin of others.
I have lived on both sides of the mountains so I see both sides but Julie where do you think you bring your crops to be shipped? Just because of differing climes should not be the reason to slam a good portion of this state?
This part of the country does not get snow like this often and we are more rural than some places. Ice strorms are dangerous no matter where they happen. Hope all who are going through this get out unscathed. It is treacherous out there.
These areas that have harsh winters were made by a Designer. So it should be no suprise when a heavy winter comes. 2012? Are you really going to trust the Mayan prophecy which is man made or God's prohecy? In fact, I don't recall any prediction of the end it was just the end of the calendar. Maybe another conspiracy. But know this! The end will come it could come before that date, on that date or after..
"Are you really going to trust the Mayan prophecy which is man made or God's prohecy?"
Both are equally ridiculous.
And thats why I live in el paso! 70 degrees and sunny today! Suckers!
Well desertdude, Uncle Sam has sent me to some pretty nice bases, came here from Tyndall AFB Florida, even with Hurricanes from June - November I DID NOT COMPLAIN, but this is rough. As I said in an earlier post, even Eielson AFB in Fairbanks Alaska wasn't this bad...
Air Force and mom of an Army soldier
Steelermama: When we in the Army wanted to party we would go to the NCO Club at Eielson, AFB or Elmendorf AFB depending on where we were at the time. Eielson AFB as with any other military base is prepared for any kind of weather so you are correct the impact would be much less there.
Love your avatar, Steelermama.
desertdude, you make me smile :)