Snow day !!!

It began coming down sometime around 3:30 am, and since then the snow has not stopped falling on Madison Park.  At this point (8:45 am) SDOT reports it's just sent a plow truck down E. Madison Street, which is a second-priority route for snow-removal crews.  This is the scene (as captured on SDOT cameras) on E. Madison, looking west at 23rd Avenue E., the top of the hill:

Conditions look a bit treacherous, a fact confirmed by the Number 11 bus driver we spoke with, who described conditions on Madison coming down on her way to Madison Park as "not good."

People were definitely making it into the Park, but fewer cars were attempting an exit strategy when we checked the streets this morning.

As noted in our earlier snow posting, current information on cleared routes is available on the SDOT website, along with feeds from strategically placed cameras (though none near Madison Park), which can help you plan your route should you need to leave the neighborhood.  This is what the map (available on a real-time basis here) looks like at this point:

Routes shown in red represent streets where recent (in the last hour) plowing and salting have occurred.  A suggested route out of Madison Park might be down E. Madison to ML King Way (which was plowed earlier this morning) and then an intercept with another plowed street to get wherever you're headed.

Best advice on this end:  stay home and enjoy the snow.  Starbucks, Tully's, Bert's and the other neighborhood conveniences are open. And Mr. Washington was out diligently shoveling snow and putting down rock salt in front of the Scoop du Jour when we meandered by. He opens today at noon--and based on his experience in the last big snow, he's says he expecting to have a busy day.

Afternoon update (2:00 pm):  Madison Street is relatively clear and drivable all the way up to 23rd Avenue E., but from there on it is a bit more treacherous.  We drove straight up Madison to work this morning (in a four-wheel drive vehicle) and found it doable until we reached Sixth Avenue downtown, where all of the smart drivers turned onto alternative roads. On our journey we noticed a lot of pedestrians crossing against the lights in the face of oncoming traffic, as well as several drivers running red lights in order not to have to stop their cars on inclines.  If you go out, be watchful!

The U.S. Weather Bureau reports that Seattle received 2.5 inches of snow in the latest dump, and no more snow is expected from the recent storm.  However, overnight temperatures are expected to be in the 30's, so ice conditions on the roadways are likely for tomorrow's commute.