Road crews and transit agencies prepare for possible snow later this week

SEATTLE — Snow that fell in some higher hills on Monday morning might be a sign of what’s to come in a few days.

With the chance of snow in the forecast later in the week, transportation agencies are preparing for a possible storm in a pandemic.

A snowstorm now would come as many people are working and taking classes from home.

Highway traffic statewide is down 21%.

Fewer people are also riding buses, but those aboard really need the service.

“We do have essential workers who are still needing transit,” said Al Sanders of King County Metro.

COVID-19 protocols limit the number of passengers on a big bus to 18 and a smaller bus to 12.

That means some people get passed up when a bus is full.

“That’s not going to change if snow starts falling,” Sanders said, who urged riders to familiarize themselves with snow routes.

The Seattle Department of Transportation has piles of salt ready and is prepared to pre-treat roads with “de-icer” if needed.

Last month, SDOT drivers did a dry run on streets prioritized for plowing.

“We took a fresh look at our snowplow routes and made sure they reflected the new needs due to COVID,” said Ethan Bergerson of SDOT.

Streets to hospitals are always cleared first.

This year, the city is also prioritizing vaccination and testing sites, plus detours from the West Seattle Bridge closure.

Cox Media Group