Update 12/30/2021: Crews are working on Priority 1 routes this morning. There were some equipment failures last night, and we're down to one Snowplow spreader. (Our N024 and N026 spreaders are both down.) Trucks are still running.
Snow was very heavy overnight and still coming down strong this morning. We expect temps to drop tomorrow. As of now we are going to continue 12 hour shifts into Friday. Unfortunately, with the equipment failures, we expect that he level of service will be below our usual standard today. We're working on a plan to get equipment up and running.
Update 12/29/2021:The Newcastle Maintenance Team is focusing on Priority 1 and 2 roads with de-icing. They have serviced about at 75% of the Priority 3 roads. From the crew: "Our challenge is keeping equipment running and materials ordered ahead of upcoming snowfall. We are preparing for tonight’s snowfall and moving crews to shifts to accommodate." We expect 1-3 more inches of snow tonight and into the morning, and we ask that residents stay home and off the roads if at all possible. Crews will be working hard on Priority 3 roads later today, after their de-icing efforts on arterials. SE 76th remains closed till further notice. Please safe out there.
Weather Event Resources: With very cold weather continuing into the New Year, King County Emergency Management has put together a list of resources. Consult their resource page for weather forecasts, travel info, warming center info, and more.
Priority Map
For any snow event, our number one goal is to keep designated priority routes in good winter driving condition. Priority routes are lifelines, major thoroughfares, and arterial roadways and streets. Please refer to our snow and ice priority map for more details.
The priorities are numbered from one to five, with Priority 1 streets representing major arterial lifeline routes. We've added a Priority 5 in this edition, which represents mostly local streets with steep hills. During snow events, city crews’ first priorities are roadways that transport large volumes of traffic. Crews try and fit in neighborhood streets as they're able, but not before priority routes are clear.
Please note that in the event of snow, our crews close SE 76th Street, which cannot be plowed safely.
IMPORTANT! Please DO NOT use SeeClickFix, social media, or call or email City Hall/Public Works staff to report that your street has not been plowed. In the event of a true emergency, please dial 911.
Our crews will work as quickly and as safely as they can to reach your neighborhood. As we focus our energy on plow operations, our staff is not able to respond to plowing requests.