Tracking Seattle’s efforts to clear snow, ice off roads

With 2–6 inches of snow falling in the Puget Sound region’s lowlands this weekend and record setting, freezing temperatures recorded Sunday, the Seattle Department of Transportation has been working around-the-clock shifts to clear the city’s roads of ice and snow.

Real time updates on which streets have been treated and plowed can be found here.

Closed streets are indicated in red. Those in shades of blue have been plowed (dark blue within the last hour, light blue within the last three hours).

Puget Sound region could see another round of snow by end of week

Seattle employs 35 total snow plows, which largely prioritize transit and emergency routes, freeways, and the downtown area. Most major roads are plowed every three or more hours by crews working around the clock. That includes major highways like I-5 and I-90.

More remote areas and side streets — particularly in residential areas — tend to not be prioritized, although the city’s Storm Response Map shows that there are “planned response routes” for future treatment and plowing on most of these roads.

Outside of Seattle, the Washington State Department of Transportation has its own response plan to clear snow off highways and major commuter routes, employing approximately 500 snow plows and dump trucks. Those vehicles cover more than 20,000 miles of lanes.

Information on WSDOT’s priority treatment plan for snow and ice conditions can be found here.

As of midday Monday, SDOT reports several road closures, including sections of 5th Avenue in the downtown area, and several blocks of Ward Street in Lower Queen Anne.

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