Tech news never sleeps, as John and Todd know all too well. But if you live in Seattle, chances are there’s one really big news event you’re thinking about today, and it’s not made of pixels.
Just snow.
A couple inches could fall in parts of the region today, but the big story is what will — or won’t — happen tomorrow. Though Monday forecasts called for up to 14 inches of snow in Seattle on Wednesday, local weather geek icon Cliff Mass and others scaled back expectations to as little as 2 to 5 inches this morning. It’s been anybody’s guess since.
“Folks this is a very difficult forecast,” Mass wrote. Tonight and tomorrow may be a very difficult and very confusing commute.
Whether you’re watching the madness unfold with your laptop or gazing out the window of your office wondering how you’re going to get home, here are some resources to stay posted on the week’s wild weather:
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Forecasts: There are several sites you could check out. Here are two to keep an eye on: the NOAA Seattle forecast discussion and Cliff Mass’s weather blog. Mass, a UW meteorologist, is known for his in-depth explanations of weather patterns and the myriad factors that affect a forecast like this one.
- Live winter weather response map: The Seattle Department of Transportation is tracking its clean-up efforts on a real-time map, and it’s pretty handy. Look up your neighborhood to see where the plows have been and how long ago they were there and click on recent snapshots of the roads and snow cover.
- Snow routes and response plan: Compare the real-time winter weather response map above with the city’s weather readiness and response plan and its map of routes it aims to keep clear (and how clear it aims to keep them) to see how they’re doing. More city snow resources can be found on the city’s Winter Weather page.
- Traffic and road conditions: Find the latest information at King County’s Regional Public Information Network, which includes updates from areas throughout the Puget Sound.
- School closures: It’s one of the surest signs of growing up, when a snowstorm is a nuisance instead of a triumph. When your kids beg you to check on school cancellations for the umpteenth time, the School Report is where you go. For the latest from UW, check out the university’s emergency alert page (thanks for the tip, @ivanvukovic!)
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Bus route updates: Taking public transport? Check out King County Metro’s snow page and its uber-helpful Twitter account for the latest on modified or canceled routes and other changes. You can also sign up for transit alerts.
- Handy dandy Twitter lists: Seattle city CTO Bill Schrier and The Seattle Times, among others, have shared Twitter lists of government, news and other accounts to follow while you’re tracking the storm. Here are Schrier’s and the Times’ curated collections.
- Seattle City Light outage map: If the lights go out where you are (and the heat — yike) this is the site to check it out (on your fully-charged phone, most like). The page will update as needed.