Seattle winter wonderland
It has been quite a day, but it's been one of the best because of one simple thing--snow!
Day started off with just a Winter Weather Advisory. It was snowing this morning, but only wet streets. I just had my cube moved and reorganized (along with the entire floor) and wanted to sort things out. Bus was fine, but there were definitely more people boarding than usual. Trip took a little longer since the entire bus fleet was fitted with chains limiting their speed--smart move.
Snow was on and off again and finally decided to head home around 3:00pm. Bus was packed. At the next stop, we had to leave about a dozen people behind and I'm sure they were not pleased. Traffic was pretty bad, but moving. Those chains on the bus? They came in handy on the ramp at one of the exits. It was about this time all of the light slushy roads turned to ice very quickly. By the time I got off the boss in downtown Seattle tunnel, the place was a mess. Most intersections were packed with cars stopped. Wheels were spinning all over the place. Many hills became sledding hills..., for cars! Even walking across the street was a little tricky.
Many of the major hills were blocked off, but several people really misjudged the capabilities of their cars and skills on even minor hills. They ended up getting stuck going up a hill and snarling traffic as they figured out how to back themselves out of that mess. Capitol Hill was pretty much at a standstill. So glad I'm walking to my apartment and I have all my necessities around me. Definitely a good day to be living in the city.
I-5 and the viaduct became parking lots within hours. There were so many little accidents that at times all lanes were blocked. Some people who were stuck for 2-3 hours eventually abandoned their cars. This one is going down in the books.
The snow is still coming down pretty heavy with a strong wind from the north. Lots of blowing snow with an occasional, but brief, whiteout. My apartment is right on the street level with the street lights, so it's really easy to see how hard it's snowing. I took several pictures (camera still acclimating to indoor temp/humidity (thanks for that tip, ljtourist!)) along Broadway E. Just wanted to capture the falling snow. I'll get more pictures I'm sure tomorrow morning.
While I was out taking pictures, a stranger approached me and asked me to delete the pictures of him. I was stunned and explained they were just scenic pictures and there was nothing to identify. He asked me to show him and to make him happy I did. You could not make out if the people in the picture were even humans! He stil wanted them deleted. I refused. As he walked away he said I had no business taking pictures of people in public. Hello? What part of "public" in that sentence do you not understand? If I had a photographic memory should I have my mind erased? Sheesh! Big city means more strange people.
Temperature is still running at 24°F/-4°C, heavy snow and lots of wind. Not sure how much longer this will keep up. Definitely going to be a work from home day tomorrow.
Day started off with just a Winter Weather Advisory. It was snowing this morning, but only wet streets. I just had my cube moved and reorganized (along with the entire floor) and wanted to sort things out. Bus was fine, but there were definitely more people boarding than usual. Trip took a little longer since the entire bus fleet was fitted with chains limiting their speed--smart move.
Snow was on and off again and finally decided to head home around 3:00pm. Bus was packed. At the next stop, we had to leave about a dozen people behind and I'm sure they were not pleased. Traffic was pretty bad, but moving. Those chains on the bus? They came in handy on the ramp at one of the exits. It was about this time all of the light slushy roads turned to ice very quickly. By the time I got off the boss in downtown Seattle tunnel, the place was a mess. Most intersections were packed with cars stopped. Wheels were spinning all over the place. Many hills became sledding hills..., for cars! Even walking across the street was a little tricky.
Many of the major hills were blocked off, but several people really misjudged the capabilities of their cars and skills on even minor hills. They ended up getting stuck going up a hill and snarling traffic as they figured out how to back themselves out of that mess. Capitol Hill was pretty much at a standstill. So glad I'm walking to my apartment and I have all my necessities around me. Definitely a good day to be living in the city.
I-5 and the viaduct became parking lots within hours. There were so many little accidents that at times all lanes were blocked. Some people who were stuck for 2-3 hours eventually abandoned their cars. This one is going down in the books.
The snow is still coming down pretty heavy with a strong wind from the north. Lots of blowing snow with an occasional, but brief, whiteout. My apartment is right on the street level with the street lights, so it's really easy to see how hard it's snowing. I took several pictures (camera still acclimating to indoor temp/humidity (thanks for that tip, ljtourist!)) along Broadway E. Just wanted to capture the falling snow. I'll get more pictures I'm sure tomorrow morning.
While I was out taking pictures, a stranger approached me and asked me to delete the pictures of him. I was stunned and explained they were just scenic pictures and there was nothing to identify. He asked me to show him and to make him happy I did. You could not make out if the people in the picture were even humans! He stil wanted them deleted. I refused. As he walked away he said I had no business taking pictures of people in public. Hello? What part of "public" in that sentence do you not understand? If I had a photographic memory should I have my mind erased? Sheesh! Big city means more strange people.
Temperature is still running at 24°F/-4°C, heavy snow and lots of wind. Not sure how much longer this will keep up. Definitely going to be a work from home day tomorrow.