Snowy backyard in north Seattle. Photo by Sarah Quackenbush

The National Weather Center is calling for up to 3 inches of new snowfall & wind up to 26 mph on Tuesday night.

Does anyone else love the look of snow delicately collecting on tree branches? It’s peaceful and magical – until the winds pick up. The heavy snow can weigh down branches and cause them to break more easily, especially when it’s windy.

Report fallen trees and branches.

If you notice fallen trees or other debris blocking streets or sidewalks, contact our 24-hour dispatch crews at 206-684-ROAD (206-684-7623).

Be prepared for possible power outages. If the snow & wind pick up, there’s a good chance that falling branches will take out power lines.

Go grab your flashlights, batteries, and warm blankets now so they’re convenient if your power does go out. Make sure your mobile phones and devices are fully charged and have backup batteries fully charged and available. Never use propane heaters or grills indoors, and use caution when using a fireplace for warmth.

Check out City Light’s outage map and tips for what to do when your power goes out.  Should there be widespread outages, Seattle City Light has crews on standby ready to respond and work 24/7 until every single customer is back on. You can also stay connected, even when the power is out by downloading Puget Sound Energy’s (PSE) mobile app, to track and report power outages in your neighborhood and check status and estimated restoration times, all in the palm of your hand. Follow PSE on Twitter.

Traffic light photo by Davis Sanchez via Pexels

When traffic lights are out, treat the intersection as a 4-way stop.

That means who ever arrives first gets to go first. If you arrive at the same time, the car to the right goes first. If two cars across from each other arrive at the same time, cars going straight get the right-of-way. Communicate with other cars by using your turn signals and making eye contact.

Remember, never touch or approach a downed wire or anything in contact with the wire.

If you see a downed power line, call 911 immediately. If wires have fallen on your car, stay in your vehicle until first responders arrive. They will let you know when it’s safe to exit the vehicle. The wires could be energized and you could be electrocuted.

If you notice a downed power line, DO NOT touch or approach it. Please report downed wires or outages to Seattle City Light at 206.684.7400. Check out City Light’s outage map and tips for what to do when your power goes out.

Report fallen trees & branches.

If you notice fallen trees or other debris blocking streets or sidewalks, contact our 24-hour dispatch crews at 206-684-ROAD (206-684-7623).

Help clear blocked street gutters & storm drains.

If you see a blocked street gutter, please help clear the leaves and debris to keep the 80,000 storm drains throughout our city flowing smoothly and to help prevent flooding. Please report flooding issues to Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) at 206.386.1800. Follow @SeattleSPU on Twitter.

Snowplow and cars on Capitol Hill from 2019 snow. Photo by Tim Durkan

More resources:

• Check which roads have been cleared of snow and ice on our winter weather response map.
• Read our winter weather FAQs – all of the answers you’ve been waiting for on snow & ice response!
• Don’t miss our winter weather resources & related websites.
• Visit King County Metro’s Metro Winter webpage: prepare for bus routes in winter weather.
• Read our recent winter weather blog posts for more helpful info.