West Seattle, Washington
21 Wednesday
6:02 AM: Good morning. It’s Tuesday, April 19th.
WEATHER
Mostly cloudy forecast, high near 55.
ROAD WORK
*Second day of the two-week WSDOT closure of the West Seattle Bridge/Spokane Street ramp to northbound 99 for pavement repair.
*SPU‘s pavement-restoration work on California SW in the SW Myrtle could start this week – it hadn’t by day’s end Monday, but the no-parking signs are out.
BUSES, WATER TAXI, FERRIES TODAY
Metro is on its regular weekday schedule. Watch @kcmetrobus for word of reroutes/cancellations. Note that you’re still required to wear a face covering on the bus despite Monday’s federal-court ruling – as explained here.
Same goes for the West Seattle Water Taxi, which is operated by Metro. Also, no midday service again today, because of training. Check its status via Water Taxi Vessel Watch. Summer schedule – adding later evening runs on Fridays and Saturdays – starts at the end of this week.
Ferries: WSF is still using the two-boat schedule for Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth. Check here for alerts/updates. And note that WSF *is* dropping its mask mandate, while noting they’re still recommended.
BRIDGES AND DETOUR ROUTES
757th morning without the West Seattle Bridge.
Low Bridge: Automated enforcement cameras remain in use; restrictions are in effect 5 am-9 pm daily – except weekends; the bridge is open to all until 8 am Saturday and Sunday mornings. (Access applications are available here for some categories of drivers.)
1st Avenue South Bridge:
South Park Bridge:
West Marginal Way at Highland Park Way:
Highland Park Way/Holden:
The 5-way intersection (Spokane/West Marginal/Delridge/Chelan):
Are movable bridges opening for vessels? Check the @SDOTBridges Twitter feed; 1st Ave. S. Bridge openings are also tweeted by @wsdot_traffic.
All city traffic cams can be seen here; West Seattle and vicinity-relevant cameras are also on this WSB page
Trouble on the roads/paths/water? Text or call us (when you can do so safely) – 206-293-6302.
Thanks for the photos! Here are four we received today – above, from Vlad Oustimovitch, out flying late this afternoon; below, from Theresa Arbow-O’Connor early this morning:
A different sunrise view from Debbie Taylor, at Forest Lawn in High Point for the Easter Sunrise Service:
And Jerry Simmons captured the egg-decorated edition of the 49th/Spokane walkway:
Not much hope of sun this week, so we’re glad to have the memories!
10:44 AM: We noted in the morning traffic/weather watch that snow showers were a possibility, according to the National Weather Service. And we’re getting word right now that it’s happening in east West Seattle. Let us know if you see snow too!
10:50 AM: Now we’re seeing a “wintry mix” here near the Upper Fauntleroy/Gatewood line.
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) April 14, 2022
Got a report from Arbor Heights, too.
11:17 AM: More like “chunky rain” now, even up here on a hill, and no accumulation – so far.
11:33 AM: And now the sun breaks through! Here’s our photo from The Junction as the blue sky moved this way:
10:48 PM: That’s one of the storm cells that passed to the south at midday today, photographed by Troy Sterk from Lincoln Park. Later in the day, another one got as close as downtown – Kevin Ainsworth sent this photo from Harbor Avenue:
A short time later, we were in the same area and saw it moving south:
Today’s high was only 49, nine degrees below normal. The forecast for Sunday is also somewhat unsettled – breezy and cool with a chance of showers.
11:32 PM: But before we get to tomorrow – we have reports from Arbor Heights and The Junction of snow mixed in with rain!
(Photo by Dan Ciske)
After a day of alternating storm squalls and sunbreaks – wind, rain, even hail along the way – the National Weather Service‘s Wind Advisory alert has ended, and the weather should be settling down. We have a few photos to share from the day – above, surfing Brant at Constellation Park, photographed by Dan Ciske; below, a double rainbow seen from Don Armeni Boat Ramp:
That photo is from Stewart L.; thanks to everybody who sent a version of that view (which we saw too while in the area). Earlier in the morning, Brooke Gosztola caught a morning rainbow and whitecaps looking west across the Sound:
At times today, icy pellets coated the ground – or, as at Christopher Grupp‘s home, the deck:
For some, like the squirrel photographed by Rene Karn, there was nowhere to hide, just trees in which to try to take refuge:
The forecast brings some hope of warmer, calmer days – Wednesday and Thursday, the forecast is for some sunshine and highs possibly into the 60s.
12:28 PM: Could get windy starting early tomorrow morning, the National Weather Service says, so it has our area under a Wind Advisory alert for 2 am to 8 pm Monday. According to the alert, “Southwest winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 50 mph are expected.” So far the full forecast suggests the strongest gusts are due Monday afternoon.
ADDED EARLY MONDAY: The NWS moved the alert two hours earlier, so it took effect at midnight. If you see or experience weather trouble – power outage, downed tree, etc. – please let us know after you’ve notified authorities – texting 206-293-6302 is always the fastest way to reach us – thank you!
(Photo by James Bratsanos)
4:29 PM: Ever since that fog burned off, the day has been busily fulfilling the promise of above-normal temperatures – 64 degrees at the top of the hour, in hazy sunshine. (Not a record, though – that’s on the books as 71.) But don’t miss the chance to get out and enjoy it tonight while it lasts – tomorrow’s high is due to drop back into the 50s.
6:07 PM: Photo just in says it all – a sea lion basking off Alki Point:
Thanks to Reiner Peery for the photo!
(West Seattle Veteran Center photo)
Winter’s not over yet, and colder weather is ahead. Keith Hughes of the West Seattle Veteran Center and American Legion Post 160 says he plans to reopen the overnight shelter there at 5 pm tomorrow (Saturday, March 5th). He plans to keep it open through at least next Wednesday, adding, “I will be staffing it myself and with volunteers from 5 pm until 10 am each day.” He says the King County Regional Homelessness Authority still is not funding the shelter, which is the only one in West Seattle – if they would , he says, “we could increase our staffing and increase our capacity to help the homeless community in the Southwest corridor.” Meantime, we asked if they need any particular donations right now, volunteers or food/clothing or money. His reply: “The community response over the past two cold spells has been wonderful and very generous, so I really don’t have any pressing needs for supplies or clothing this time around. I have also been able to build up my list of willing volunteers, so I am able to get at least one break per day for a run of 5 or 6 days of cold. I just want to keep up the awareness that winter is not over and there are still people out there without food and shelter. When you see them, help them. If you can’t help them directly, point them to the West Seattle Veteran Center Shelter.” It’s at 3618 SW Alaska.
What a sunset! Thanks to everyone who sent photos. Above, the first one in was from Mel in Highland Park; the view below is from Brooke Gozstola:
Tom Trulin had this view overlooking the Fauntleroy ferry terminal:
Doug Eglington caught the reflection from downtown buildings:
And here’s Bill Johnson‘s view from Upper Fauntleroy:
Savor the colors – could be another gray day tomorrow.
Seattle has had 3.7 inches of rain in the past two days – which is the average rainfall for the entire month of February. As a soggy day makes way for night, we have two road closures to mention, both somewhat out-of-the-way but still notable:
TREE DOWN: This tree has fallen in a slide at 18th/Charlestown (map), at the start of a one-lane road just west of West Marginal Way SW, a short distance south of the bridge. An SDOT incident-response vehicle was there when we went over to look, but work to clear it had not yet started.
On to west Admiral:
(Photo by Jeremy Barton)
POLE PROBLEM: At 52nd/College (map), this tape’s been up all day because of a leaning pole and dangling wires. A truck was stuck there this morning, though we’re not sure whether the pole was already leaning before the truck showed up – we inquired with City Light about its assessment of the situation and repair plans, since (as the photo shows) they had a crew there earlier, but have yet to receive a reply, and no crews was present when we went by to check around 5 pm.
MONDAY MORNING: The photo is from Mary Metz, who reports, “I had to dismount and wade across the little bridge over Longfellow Creek (by the athletic club on Yancy) this morning.” With rain continuing today, our area remains under a Flood Watch alert, which says in part, “Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations.” (Let us know if you encounter any other flooded spots – text 206-293-6302 or email westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!)
MONDAY AFTERNOON: Here’s how it looked and sounded later – thanks to Melinda for the video:
Just noticed the forecast for “a slight chance of snow after midnight” has come true. The photo shows the scene up here in 300’+ Upper Fauntleroy. Very light snow right now; @WestSeaWX says the flurries may continue all night. Whatever falls is even less likely to stick around than our Monday night/Tuesday morning snow, as we’re on our way this time to a more-seasonal daytime high in the 40s.
(Reminder to take care of your neighborhood birds – hummingbird feeders, too – in the cold weather)
The National Weather Service insists sunshine is on the way. Still very lightly snowing as of this writing, though. If any other weather-related changes come in (text 206-293-6302), we’ll add to this list, but here’s what we have for now:
WARM-UP CENTER/COLD-WEATHER SHELTER: If you or someone you know needs a place to go, as reported here last night, 3618 SW Alaska is the place. They’re also in need of various donations, as our story mentioned, to support the people they serve.
NO GOLF: Seattle Parks says the snowfall has closed the West Seattle Golf Course – too much for golfing, not enough to open the course for “winter activities.”
FOOD FUNDRAISER CANCELED: Chef Gino Williamson won’t be out at 5441 Delridge Way SW because of the weather, but look for him 11 am-7 pm tomorrow.
CITY COUNCIL: Their weekly meeting is at 2 pm, online, with items including a proposal to extend the eviction moratorium despite the mayor’s decision to end it. The agenda explains how to comment; Seattle Channel is where to watch.
DEMONSTRATION FOR RACIAL JUSTICE: 4:30-6 pm at 16th/Holden, Scott leads the weekly demonstration for racial justice. Signs available if you don’t have your own.
FAMILY GAME NIGHT: Meeples Games (3727 California SW) welcomes families 6-8 pm to this weekly hosted game-playing night.
BASKETBALL: The West Seattle High School girls play a must-win regional-playoffs game at home (3000 California SW) tonight, 7 pm vs. Liberty High School from Issaquah. Our preview includes the ticket link.
TRIVIA X 2: Two venues to play tonight – 7 pm at Admiral Pub (2306 California SW), 7:30 and 8:30 pm at The Lodge (4209 SW Alaska).
BELLE OF THE BALLS BINGO: Play bingo with Cookie Couture at The Skylark (3803 Delridge Way SW), 8 pm. Free, all ages!
There’s more on our calendar – and if you have something to add for the future, email us the info at westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
8:35 AM: As commenters have noted, snow continues.
8:59 AM: Seattle Parks says West Seattle Golf Course (and others in the city) are closed because of the weather. Meantime, the National Weather Service has yet to publish any advisories or indications about how much longer this is expected to last.
9:31 AM: Still snowing.
Earlier:
================================
6:03 AM: Good morning. After the late-night snow, extra caution is in order.
WEATHER
Cold and windy today, not expected to get out of the 30s.
REMINDERS
8th SW sewer repair – This week, crews are expected to start up to 3 weeks of work on 8th SW between Roxbury and Cambridge, which means parking restrictions and lane closures.
Midwinter break – No classes this week for Seattle Public Schools and those who follow its schedule.
BUSES, WATER TAXI, FERRIES, LIGHT RAIL TODAY
Metro is on its regular weekday schedule. Watch @kcmetrobus for word of reroutes/cancellations. Also remember the new bus stops at Alaskan Way/Jackson that opened on Saturday.
Water Taxi‘s back in service. (Added: No Vashon service this morning because of the weather.)
Ferries: WSF continues the two-boat schedule for Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth. Check here for alerts/updates.
Light rail: Here’s the Sound Transit holiday schedule.
BRIDGES AND DETOUR ROUTES
700th morning without the West Seattle Bridge.
Low Bridge: Automated enforcement cameras remain in use; restrictions are in effect 5 am-9 pm daily – except weekends; the bridge is open to all until 8 am Saturday and Sunday mornings. (Access applications are available here for some categories of drivers.)
1st Avenue South Bridge:
South Park Bridge:
West Marginal Way at Highland Park Way:
Highland Park Way/Holden:
The 5-way intersection (Spokane/West Marginal/Delridge/Chelan):
Are movable bridges opening for vessels? Check the @SDOTBridges Twitter feed; 1st Ave. S. Bridge openings are also tweeted on @wsdot_traffic.
See all local traffic cams here; locally relevant cameras are also on this WSB page
Trouble on the roads/paths/water? Text or call us (when you can do so safely) – 206-293-6302.
11:06 PM: Last weekend’s forecast hinted at snow tonight – and that’s come true. We’re seeing some here in Upper Fauntleroy, and hearing from other parts of West Seattle too, including Genesee Hill and The Junction. Anyone else?
(Photo from Patt in Admiral)
11:29 PM: We’ve heard in comments and tweets from people all over the peninsula. It’s lightly coating cars, planting strips, and decks. … No advisories, and the evening forecast update only had a “slight chance of rain and snow showers.”
(WSB photo, Upper Fauntleroy)
11:53 PM: Trouble on the streets already – crash at 63rd SW and Beach Drive. One person reported hurt, and SFD’s on the way.
(Shelter/center lobby, WSB photo from December)
Below-freezing nights are in the forecast all week, so West Seattle’s only emergency shelter has reopened its doors. It’s in the Veterans Center/American Legion Post 160 building in The Triangle, operated with volunteer help and donations, so center manager Keith Hughes emailed us with some requests for anyone who can help:
The Warm-Up Center and Cold Weather Overnight Shelter will be open this week and possibly into next week. We could really use the community’s support again, with men’s-size socks, gloves, stocking caps, T-shirts, and underwear. We have plenty of cots and blankets now, and we thank you all for those.
In the food department, our needs are: Coffee, creamer, pancake mix, instant oatmeal, instant hot-chocolate mix, granola bars, and grocery-store gift cards so we can get milk, eggs, and other fresh items. Thank you so much for your kind and generous support.
The center/shelter is at 3618 SW Alaska, 206-932-9696.
No official advisory about it, but the forecast today says wind gusts could get up to 40 mph – and so it’s a good idea to keep everything charged. Even more interesting in the forecast, the possibility of snow showers Monday night, at least on the hilltops. February snow, of course, is not unusual – last year we had some in mid-February. And winter officially has four weeks remaining.
One more set of sky shots, just in case you were watching a screen instead … Right after Super Bowl halftime, the sky turned blazing pink. The photo above is from Lynn Hall; below, from Scott Lipsky:
And from James Bratsanos:
Savor the colors – still looks like rain’s on the way tomorrow.
The fog has cleared now, but it made for a memorable – and loud – morning around the peninsula. Thanks to everyone who sent photos! Above, Carolyn Newman caught the sunrise from Harbor Avenue. Below, Theresa Arbow-O’Connor‘s view from further west on Alki:
Later, the fog still clung to the water for a while – Lars Lindblad photographed the Olympics peeking above the fog bank to the west:
Later, 
And James Bratsanos photographed the eastward view, looking toward downtown:
Fog isn’t in the forecast again until Tuesday – tomorrow is likely to bring rain.
Quick break for sunset beauty before we move on with the rest of the news – Thanks to everyone who sent photos! Tonight’s sunset moved through phases of orange and pink. The photo above is from Chris Goh; below, from Jan Pendergrass:
And below, from James Bratsanos:
Since it’s Wednesday, it’s not too soon to look ahead to the weekend, and that’s where we find hope (for everyone who enjoys sunshine) – Saturday and Sunday are currently forecast to be sunny with highs in the 50s.
During Monday’s weekly City Council briefing meeting, Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda – the West Seattleite who holds citywide Position 8 – told her colleagues that the Department of Finance and Administrative Services was dealing with a high number of claims filed by pothole victims. We followed up with FAS to see just how high the stack was getting. Spokesperson Melissa Mixon looked into it and started her reply with one jaw-dropping, axle-busting stat: “The number of pothole claims for 2021 was 210 and the current count for 2022 is 300-plus.” She adds, “It is noteworthy though that pothole claims from the recent snowstorm already constitute approximately half of all our open claims.” The Risk Management division doesn’t have a geographic breakout, so we don’t know how many of those potholes are in West Seattle. SDOT does have a map showing fixed and reported potholes – here’s a screengrab:
Circles represent recently filled potholes; diamonds represent ones that are “pending.” You can report a pothole here. If you’ve sustained damage from one on a city road, here’s how to file a claim. We asked Mixon how that process works: Your claim is assigned to an adjuster. They reach out to the relevant city department (SDOT) in this case for a formal response. Then they can either close the claim for lack of contact or information, tender it (when another entity is responsible), deny it (if the city isn’t found negligent, or settle it.
Tonight’s sunset didn’t splash the entire sky with color – mostly a bright band of vivid pink over the horizon, as shown in Kersti Muul‘s photo above and Marc Milrod‘s photo below. Marc also shows us the view to the south from Constellation Park, with Mount Rainier’s pink-tinged cap:
Today’s high was 47, a few degrees below the seasonal norm, but the forecast says we’re in for a warming trend.
The next few days should approach 50, and then the high is expected to reach the low 50s starting at midweek.
Thanks to Brooke Gosztola (above) and James Bratsanos (below) for the views during and after tonight’s sunset.
If the forecast is borne out, this is likely the last sunset show we’ll see for at least a few days, as clouds are expected to move in tomorrow and rain by Sunday. Though tonight’s starting off with a clear sky, the temperature is not expected to drop as far as it did last night, with an official overnight low of 28, ten degrees below normal.
ADDED: One more sunset view, sent by Erin O.:
| 10 COMMENTS