Start planning for the inclement weather, be prepared. It is crucial for residents to be properly informed and prepared for wind, rain, and snow and which steps to take around this time of the year.
For life-threatening emergencies, call 911.
Non-emergency issues, such as downed trees, signs or problems with drainage due to rain or snow, should be reported to the City at (206) 801-2700.
Before the Winter
During a Storm
Unless there is an emergency, stay home. If you must travel, please use public transportation whenever possible. You can sign up with Metro Transit to receive snow routing alerts.
Snow Removal
When is snows, City plows will concentrate their efforts on primary routes first to accommodate fire, medical and police response, as well as Metro transit, school buses and commuter traffic. As long as it continues to snow, these primary routes will be plowed. Once the snow has stopped and all primary roads are clear, plows will move to secondary routes, and once those are clear, neighborhood streets will be plowed. If it starts snowing again, the process of clearing main roads will start over. Please keep in mind that, during a heavy, continuous snowstorm, it may take several days before all city streets are cleared.
Property Owner Responsibilities
Shoreline homeowners and business/property owners are responsible for clearing snow and ice off driveways and sidewalks near their property, including the ridge of snow left along the edge of driveways by the snow plow. Right-of way and catch basins must also be kept clear to accommodate melting snow and to avoid pooling water. More information about stormwater drains can be found on the Adopt-A-Drain page.
Solid Waste Collection
Missed collections of garbage, yard waste and recycling will be scheduled for the following week. Please protect your materials from blowing away by making sure bins are closed, and contact CleanScapes at (206) 763-4444 if you have any questions.
Power Outages
The Seattle City Light website allows you to check the status of a power outage. Contact Seattle City Light for more information at (206) 684-7000.