Plows hard at work in Ballard

Update 10:30 p.m. We’re seeing a break in the snow right now, but the Weather Service says we should see another band move through before morning (keep an eye on Doppler here). We just took another unofficial measurement: 3 inches of new snow for a total of 8.25 inches of accumulation here in East Ballard. Other areas, such as West Ballard, have as much as 9 inches or more. As for the morning commute, “If you don’t have to drive, please avoid being out on the roads,” said Alex Wiggins with SDOT. Sounds like good advice.

All of SDOT’s plows have been working through the night. This one is on 80th St., which is a “secondary” route according to the SDOT map. Again, the side streets are treacherous, with an icy crust over heavy snow. We’ve even started having some trouble getting around in our 4WD vehicle.

Despite all the plowing (this is 15th Ave.), the city will cancel waste collection in the morning. They’ll pick it up on Tuesday. And Metro is still offering limited service along arterial routes, and they said they’ll update the route changes online here at 4 a.m. Microsoft’s Connector routes are canceled.

We’re starting to see a few “wires down” 911 calls, due to the heavy snow. And Bella sent us this photo of a tree on 3rd Ave. near 90th leaning precariously over the roadway. A few hours later, it was cut down.

One note of warning for anyone who has left a car along a major route, like here on 15th. The snow pushed from the plows is beginning to pile up on the side, which will make extracting a car especially challenging.

This is in the Loyal Heights area with the snow still falling. We noticed a quite a few cross-country skiers out and about, even late into the night.

A serene shot from Olympic Manor. It’s hard to see where the street ends and the sidewalks and front lawns begin.

And this home on 80th looks like it’s been transported to the North Pole. Remember to enjoy the snow and have a happy holidays!

Please let us know what’s happening on your block in comments…