Summary

As the Puget Sound region takes its first steps into winter, travelers in King County should prepare for the possibility of snow in some areas and possible travel disruptions this weekend.

Story

At the moment, the National Weather Service forecasts a rain/snow mix for the greater Seattle area Saturday night. The King County Department of Transportation urges Metro transit customers and water taxi riders, as well as people who travel unincorporated county roads, to monitor weather reports and connect to information available from King County, including travel alerts.

Road Services crews are on rotation and available to sand and plow mapped snow routes. Call the 24/7 Roads Helpline to report road traffic safety issues in unincorporated King County, such as downed stop signs, malfunctioning signals or trees over the roadway. The 24/7 Helpline: 206-477-8100 or 1-800-527-6237 (1-800-KC-ROADS). King County’s My Commute page is a resource for monitoring the status of roads, and information is available on the county roads’ snow response page.

King County Metro supervisors are staffing the agency’s control center, actively monitoring the forecast and will respond to changing weather conditions in the event they affect roads across King County. If necessary, Metro has the ability to chain its fleet and shift buses to snow routes. As weather conditions continue to develop, Metro customers are urged to familiarize themselves with the planned snow route for their regular bus and visit MetroWinter.com.

Water Taxi crews are prepared to respond to icy conditions should they develop at the docks served by the water taxi, which currently operates weekday service. High winds canceled three Vashon trips Friday morning (two from Vashon, one from Seattle). Service details are on the Water Taxi website and alerts are available by subscription.

Airport personnel monitor all airfield conditions and provide updated airfield status to airport users during winter weather conditions. Crews recently ensured all snow removal equipment is response ready and are prepared to activate the snow and ice removal plan as needed.

Resources for travelers

• Visit MetroWinter.com and sign up for Metro Transit Alerts (text, email, tweets via @kcmetrobus, see RSS feed via desktop or mobile RSS reader)
• Visit the King County My Commute page for information; Sign up for King County Road Alerts (text, email, tweets via @kcroads)
• Sign up for King County Water Taxi Alerts (text, email)
• Visit the Eye on Your Metro Commute (blog during peak weekday commutes)