State Route 900 remains barricaded at midafternoon Jan. 20 to motorists wanting to go southbound past Northwest Talus Drive, a day after a downed tree blocked access to the urban village. By Greg Farrar

In the days after a snowstorm pummeled the region, blackout chased whiteout, as residents uneasy about thorny commutes and missed meetings instead confronted sinking temperatures and toppling trees — all sans electricity.

The major snowstorm dropped 3 to 6 inches across the Issaquah area Jan. 18, but the struggle started the next day, as a rare ice storm led to widespread power outages and caused trees to send ice- and snow-laden branches earthward.

The harsh conditions tested road crews, prompted spinouts and fender benders around the region, and led officials to cancel school for almost a week.

“It was like a 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 punch,” Bret Heath, city Public Works Operations and emergency management director, said Jan. 23, as cleanup efforts continued. “For awhile there, I wasn’t sure if we were ever going to see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

Ironically, snowfall on the ground early Jan. 18 came from a less-severe-than-predicted snowstorm. Still, the snowstorm left deep snow in local neighborhoods, especially areas at higher elevations. The tough challenges came in the days afterward, as ice encased power lines and tree branches.

Brent Bower, a National Weather Service senior hydrologist in Seattle, said the snowstorm still ranked as substantial, even if predictions of a “mega-storm” in the days preceding the event did not come to fruition.

“The storm kept changing course and ended up going a little bit further south,” he said. “It didn’t take much, but it was enough to make it a lot lighter snow rate up here, and it looks like it’s going to shorten the duration, too.”

The snowstorm caused minor headaches compared to the subsequent ice storm, as more than 18,000 customers in the Issaquah area and more than 200,000 customers in Western Washington lost power.

The electricity sputtered moments after Mayor Ava Frisinger poured batter into a waffle iron for 7-year-old granddaughter Ava.

“So, one batch of waffles got baked and then the rest turned into cooked-on-the-stovetop pancakes,” the elder Ava Frisinger said the next day.

Catastrophe averted, but troubles linger

The mayor — bundled in a fleece bomber jacket and heavy duty boots — trekked to City Hall from home in downtown Issaquah. City Hall had power, but no heat, and the temperature in the mayor’s office hovered in the mid-50s.

Trees toppled on Squak Mountain, prompting street closures and power outages as city and Puget Sound Energy crews battled the elements. Communities on Tiger Mountain, just outside city limits, remained in darkness for days after the storm, as crews toiled to restore power.

“Some areas are harder hit than others,” Heath said. “It’s interesting when you’re driving around. Some areas look fairly normal, like it was breezy. Other areas look like a bomb went off.”

Still, despite the damage — and a winter storm emergency proclamation from Gov. Chris Gregoire — catastrophe did not come. Forecasters predicted strong winds and heavy rains for the days after the snowstorm, though neither materialized.

“If that had hit when the trees were loaded with snow and ice, that would have been something to see,” Heath said. “Fortunately, that didn’t really develop and I think we skated on that one.”

Concerns about Issaquah Creek and street flooding bubbled to the surface late Jan. 20, as forecasters issued a flood watch for Western Washington. City crews, officials and residents also cast a wary eye at ice- and snow-laden trees.

(Issaquah dodged significant flooding last year, and the last flooding to occur in the city resulted after a Pineapple Express storm barreled into the region in early December 2010.)

City officials opened the Emergency Operations Center on Jan. 19 to coordinate the response to the emergency.
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Snowstorm causes road closures

The slushy snow and downed trees posed obstacles to road crews for days.

State Route 900 at the southern city limits closed due to a downed tree. Southeast 56th Street from 229th Avenue Southeast to East Lake Sammamish Parkway Southeast closed due to downed power lines. So is 221st Place Southeast from Southeast 62nd Street to Northwest Sammamish Road. Several Squak Mountain streets closed as tree branches rained onto the roadway.

Outside Issaquah, state Route 18 from Interstate 90 near Preston to Auburn closed for days to due hundreds of downed trees on the roadway. State Route 900 closed at Southeast May Valley Road due to downed trees.

“Hundreds of trees fell,” said Dave McCormick, state Department of Transportation regional maintenance manager. “It’s the worst we’ve seen in the last several years.”

Officials urged people to exercise caution outdoors in order to prevent another tragedy similar to a Jan. 19 incident, after a falling tree killed a 61-year-old man near Issaquah.

“Be very careful when you’re outside of possible falling trees or limbs,” said Communications Coordinator Autumn Monahan, the city official responsible for disseminating information to the public during snowstorms and other emergencies. “When we have rain that’s right on top of heavy snow, we’ve got weight issues, so make sure to be aware of you’re surroundings when you’re outside.”

The focus remained on the power outage, as residents questioned PSE and city officials about repairs. Issaquah Police Department dispatchers received a handful of calls from residents asking about repairs to the power grid — a no-no. PSE urged customers to direct questions about repairs to the utility.

“Every call that we receive that’s not an emergency call, that takes away our dispatchers from taking a call that could be an emergency,” Monahan said. “We do ask people to only call if they have an actual emergency.”

Frisinger said residents adapted gracefully to the challenges posed by ongoing power outages and harsh conditions.

“I’m glad that people are as self-reliant as they are and they’re very helpful to other people and concerned about them,” she said.

Warren Kagarise: 392-6434, ext. 234, or wkagarise@isspress.com. Comment at www.issaquahpress.com.

Puget Sound Energy crews had restored power to many Issaquah neighborhoods by early Friday evening, but large swaths remained in the dark as workers race to restore power across the region.

Downtown residents reported power coming back just after 5:30 p.m. Crews restored power for residents in some areas, including the Issaquah Highlands, late Thursday.

Puget Sound Energy estimated 8,876 customers in Issaquah without power early Friday evening — down from about 18,000 customers without power midday Thursday. Crews continue to work on restoring power to the areas left in the dark.

Still, despite the success, officials remained concerned about the possibility of additional weather challenges in the days ahead.

Line crews arrive to remove an ice-laden tree fallen onto a 69,000 volt transmission line, at Southeast 105th Place on Issaquah-Hobart Road. By Greg Farrar

The ice- and snow-laden trees could drop branches on roads and residences in high winds.

Officials also directed people without power to a shelter set up by the city and the American Red Cross at the Issaquah Community Center.

Rodney Amburgey, a lineman with City Pacific Services contracted to Puget Sound Energy, works Jan. 20 to secure a broken and dangling utility pole crossbeam at Southeast May Valley Road and 231st Place Southeast. By Greg Farrar

NEW — 6:30 a.m. Jan. 20, 2012

Though the forecast calls for temperatures to inch upward Friday, effects from a major snowstorm and rare ice storm continue to impact Issaquah residents.

Puget Sound Energy estimated 11,235 customers remained without power in Issaquah at 6:10 a.m. — a drop from the more than 18,000 left in the dark Thursday. Difficult road conditions continue to challenge motorists on city streets and roads in unincorporated King County.

City road crews continue to focus on maintaining priority routes and removing downed trees from the roadway. Numerous roads in Issaquah and nearby areas closed Thursday due to fallen trees and downed power lines.

Roads across the county remain extremely hazardous, despite predictions for improving weather, county transportation officials said early Friday. Crews closed more than 30 roads countywide, many due to downed trees and tree limbs.

King County Road Services Division crews prepared for another day of plowing and sanding — marking a week of snow and ice operations. Officials said crews hope to gain the upper hand on the difficult conditions by clearing accumulated ice, snow and debris from major roads as the temperature climbs. However, the process to remove fallen trees and tree limbs from roads and road shoulders could last for days.

Most city facilities closed Friday. City Hall is closed, except for essential staff. Julius Boehm Pool and the Issaquah Community Center remain closed, although the community center is open as a 24-hour shelter for people without power. Issaquah Municipal Court is closed, and officials plan to reschedule all planned hearings. People cannot be penalized for failure to appear in court as scheduled Friday.

Allied Waste and Waste Management — garbage haulers for Issaquah and the surrounding area — canceled pickup for Friday due to road conditions.

In addition, Issaquah School District campuses closed for Friday due to the aftermath of the snowstorm and ice storm.

National Weather Service meteorologists said warmer air is gradually expected to move north through Western Washington throughout the morning and afternoon. Temperatures should climb and precipitation should change to rain. In addition, the temperature is expected to remain above freezing Friday night.

Downed trees and power lines prompted road closures on state Route 900 in Issaquah and rural King County early Thursday morning.

Crews responded a downed tree and power lines before 7:50 a.m. between Northwest Talus Drive and the southern city limits. The stretch between the access road to the Talus urban village and the city line remains closed as Puget Sound Energy crews tend to the downed tree.

Outside city limits, in rural King County, the state Department of Transportation said state Route 900 is closed at Southeast May Valley Road due to a downed tree.

In Issaquah, Southeast 56th Street from 229th Avenue Southeast to East Lake Sammamish Parkway Southeast is closed due to downed power lines.

The closures came as ice weighted down trees and power lines, contributing to road closures and power outages throughout the region.

PSE reported more than 12,000 customers in the Issaquah area without power at 9:55 a.m.

Meanwhile, Gov. Chris Gregoire declared a state of emergency as the state grapples with the ice storm and digs out from a major snowstorm. The declaration could help Issaquah officials if the city applies for financial reimbursement for costs related to the winter weather incidents.

National Weather Service forecasters also extended the regional ice storm warning from noon until 2 p.m.

City road crews labored throughout the night and morning to remove snow and treat Issaquah streets, as officials and residents prepare for another day of snow-snarled commutes.

Roads remain open and snowplows continue to focus on Priority 1 routes — important arteries and access to hillside communities. Crews intend to address side streets as conditions allow. (Officials divide streets into priority levels for snow removal.)

Officials canceled all programs at the Issaquah Community Center and Julius Boehm Pool for Thursday. Call 837-3300 or go to the city website for updates on possible drop-in hours.

Expect rain and snow before 10 a.m. Thursday. Temperatures should rise into the upper 30s throughout the day. More rain and snow is expected Thursday night.

Meanwhile, concerns turned to possible flooding as higher temperatures and rain entered the forecast. Meteorologists said evaluating the moisture locked in snow and melting into runoff into local waterways is difficult. In addition, a storm is heading for Western Washington from the Pacific Ocean. National Weather Service forecasters in Seattle said the storm could drop 0.5 to 2.5 inches of rain on lowland soggy lowland areas.

But predicting how snow melt and additional precipitation could impact Issaquah Creek and other waterways is difficult to determine.

“This will be a tricky situation to forecast, and uncertainty that there will or will not be flooding is quite high,” forecasters noted in a hydrologic outlook posted Wednesday afternoon. “Rainfall intensities and the amount and rate of lowland snow melt will determine how high the rivers rise. There is a lot of uncertainty in how much snow water is there and how fast that snow will melt.”

Snow blankets downtown Issaquah on Wednesday morning as a King County Metro Transit bus heads north along Front Street South. By Kathleen R. Merrill

NEW — 9:15 a.m. Jan. 18, 2012

Snowfall greeted Issaquah residents Wednesday morning, as a less-severe-than-predicted snowstorm still left deep snow in local neighborhoods, especially areas at higher elevations.

City road crews continue to remove snow on a 24-hour basis, and all city streets remain open to traffic. Snowplows remain focused on Priority 1 routes — important arteries and access to hillside communities. Crews intend to address side streets as conditions allow. (Officials divide streets into priority levels for snow removal.)

Issaquah residents reported 3 to 6 inches throughout the area early Wednesday morning. Residents can expect a similar amount of snowfall to continue throughout the day.

Brent Bower, a National Weather Service senior hydrologist in Seattle, said the snowstorm is substantial, even if predictions of a “mega-storm” in the days preceding the event did not come to fruition.

“It was going to be big,” he said Wednesday morning. “We’ve had reports, some people have already had 16 inches” in the South Puget Sound region.

Olympia and other communities to the south bore the brunt of the snowstorm.

“The storm kept changing course and ended up going a little bit further south,” Bower said. “It didn’t take much, but it was enough to make it a lot lighter snow rate up here, and it looks like it’s going to shorten the duration, too.”

Still, city officials urged residents to prepare for winter driving conditions — even on treated roads — and to check the municipal traffic camera network before heading out onto roads.

If drivers must abandon vehicles along Issaquah streets, park clear of travel lanes to allow snow equipment to pass. (The city tows vehicles left abandoned in travel lanes. Call the Issaquah Police Department nonemergency line, 837-3200, to locate vehicles after a snowstorm.)

Expect snowfall to continue throughout Wednesday and additional snow showers to occur Thursday. Rain is in the forecast for Friday — and officials raised concerns about possible flooding in Issaquah as snow melts and rain falls.

The potential for more snow — plus flooding as the snow melted — reminded emergency planners to gird for harsh La Niña conditions, albeit later in the season than expected.

“It’s going to be pretty messy in the next couple of days,” said Johnny Burg, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Seattle. “People should just pay attention to the forecast.”

The forecast could change, of course, but meteorologists predicted additional snow in the days ahead. Then, urban flooding along streets could occur as the snow starts to melt, perhaps later in the week.

“Usually, we try to get things nailed down within the next 48 hours,” Burg said. “Anything beyond that, really, the accuracy kind of falls off. It all depends on if the models are all in agreement and if the models are doing well.”

The city Public Works Operations Department and King County Road Services Division start to dispatch crews to plow and sand slushy roadways as snow materializes. Crews may also apply de-icing material to major arterial streets and bridges. Sometimes, city crews stage equipment along major roadways if snow is certain to fall.

The city focuses on high-priority, hillside routes — such as Highlands Drive Northeast, Mountain Park Boulevard Southwest, Northwest Talus Drive and Southeast Issaquah-Fall City Road — to maintain access to Issaquah hillside communities and the Sammamish Plateau amid inclement conditions.

Officials also reminded motorists to pay special attention to bridges and overpasses, because both can be more prone to freeze during late night and early morning hours. So, drivers should be on the lookout for black ice, as well as snow.

Unlike snowstorms in 2010 and 2011 — including a pre-Thanksgiving 2010 nightmare responsible for transportation gridlock throughout the region — officials said this snowstorm did not cause as many headaches, at least in the initial days. Issaquah police did not encounter vehicles abandoned en masse at the base of steep hills after the Jan. 15 snowstorm — a change from past incidents.

“It’s been really quiet on the roads,” said Communications Coordinator Autumn Monahan, the city official responsible for disseminating information to the public during snowstorms and other emergencies. “I think people have either been staying at home or being prepared and checking their routes before they leave.”

Planners credited residents for preparing for inclement conditions and opting to ride out the snowstorm at home rather than attempt a commute to the office. Some commuters encountered a smoother ride because the Issaquah School District and many government offices closed Jan. 16 for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday.

“Traffic has been very light because it’s a holiday weekend — and that really helps,” Monahan said.

La Niña poses challenge

Sara Niegowski, Issaquah School District spokeswoman, said officials prepared early for possible cancellations or delays related to inclement conditions. The district did not need to cancel or delay classes due to weather during the 2011-12 school year through Jan. 16.

“We’re very, very happy with that,” Niegowski said. “We know it’s bound to catch up with us at some point. In the past couple years, it’s been hitting us in November. For January, this is not too bad.”

Issaquah, King County and state Department of Transportation crews toiled around the clock to clear streets, and to dump sand and apply de-icing fluid to roadways. (The holiday weekend did not affect staffing levels for snow-response crews.)

“We encourage people to take major arterials, or to get onto a major arterial as soon as they can, because they’re the ones that will be cleared first,” Monahan said.

King County crews started responding to snow and ice on roadways in north areas of the county the afternoon of Jan. 14, and by early the next day, officials placed all crews on 12-hour shifts to conduct around-the-clock snow and ice operations countywide. Officials placed about 150 county maintenance staffers on snow duty.

The county focuses on major roadways during regional snowstorms. The setup could mean less attention on neighborhood streets and closures for steep roads.

In inclement conditions, the Issaquah School District’s transportation team fans out on roads across the district before 4 a.m. to assess conditions. The team focuses on the most treacherous areas in the sprawling district. (The district stretches from Preston to Newcastle, and from Sammamish to Renton.)

The team then relays the information to district officials. Superintendent Steve Rasmussen then makes the decision to cancel or delay school.

“If it’s something really obvious, we’ll try to make the decision the night before,” Niegowski said. “But if it’s something where the weather might change, it might drop off and there’s still a question, I think people have got to get up in the morning and just start driving the roads.”

If the district cancels school, officials built in days throughout the school year to accommodate possible snow days.

“We like it when they don’t occur, but we’re ready when they do,” Niegowski said.

Meteorologists said harsh conditions could continue due to La Niña. The phenomenon means unusually cold temperatures in the Pacific Ocean near South America — and colder-than-normal temperatures and greater-than-normal rain and snowfall in Western Washington.

The double whammy from significant snowfall, rain and subsequent snowmelt could cause flooding along Issaquah streets. Monahan said city crews prepared for flood response in addition to snow removal.

La Niña is considered the opposite of El Niño — a phenomenon defined by unusually warm temperatures in the equatorial Pacific. In the Pacific Northwest, El Niño tends to mean drier winters. (Meteorologists use data collected at Sea-Tac International Airport for official, long-term climate records in the region.)

“We have plenty of the winter left — we have the rest of January, February and until March,” Burg said. “We’ll probably get more snow, and we’ll have to see how the rest of January shakes out as far as temperatures go.”

Warren Kagarise: 392-6434, ext. 234, or wkagarise@isspress.com. Comment at www.issaquahpress.com.

The cold is causing a challenge for motorists as ice forms on roads and Eastside Fire & Rescue crews respond to motorists crashing, spinning out or landing in ditches.

The conditions make for icy and slick roads across the emergency response agency’s service area. EFR serves Issaquah, Sammamish and North Bend, plus areas in unincorporated King County.

EFR reminds motorists to learn how to navigate and maneuver in inclement weather conditions, such as snow and ice. Driving safely by slowing down under these conditions is essential to staying safe behind the wheel. The agency recommends the following safety tips:

• If cars behind you tailgate during bad weather conditions, pull over and let them pass.
• Having a front-wheel or four-wheel drive vehicle is not a guarantee it can handle icy roads.
• Avoid using cruise control if driving on icy roads.
• Stay alert, and refrain from talking on a cellphone while driving, even with a hands-free device.
• Slow down and allow some distance between you and the car in front of you.
• Always wear a seat belt.
• Most of all, if you do not have to be out in the elements, stay home.

Rain is expected to continue on Thanksgiving and through the holiday weekend.

King County Road Services Division officials reminded motorists to watch for road closures due to flooding or blockages. Motorists should use caution on the road, and monitor the latest road closure information before heading out. Never drive around barricades or through standing water.

King County remains under a flood watch as officials monitor flood-prone rivers. Issaquah Creek flooding is not expected to occur.

National Weather Service meteorologists said rain is expected during the day on Thanksgiving and Friday. Black Friday shoppers can encounter soggy conditions before 10 a.m.

More rain is in the forecast for Saturday and Sunday.

King County is under a flood watch as a precipitation-laden system barrels into Western Washington, and Issaquah residents should prepare for localized flooding as rain and wind pelt the area.

The flood watch is in effect until through late Wednesday night. Expect 2 to 4 inches of rainfall Monday night and Tuesday as the snow level rises to about 6,000 feet, and then another 1 to 3 inches Tuesday night and Wednesday as the snow level gradually dips to about 3,000 feet.

National Weather Service meteorologists in Seattle said any flooding related to the system is expected to be minor.

In addition, a wind advisory is in effect through noon Tuesday.

Bret Heath, city Public Works Operations and emergency management director, said leaves dislodged from trees by rain and wind could also clog storm drains and lead to flooding along city streets.

Issaquah Creek flooding is not expected to pose a major problem in the days ahead.

“It’s going to be a decent storm, but being that this is going to be the first one, stream levels are relatively low,” he said. “We’ll probably see some urban flooding issues, especially with all of the leaves coming off of the trees.”

Seattle Public Utilities encourage residents to “adopt” a local storm drain or drainage ditch to remove leaves and other debris. Residents should also maintain gutters, downspouts, rain barrels and private culverts by keeping them clean, flowing and directed away from properties and hillsides.

Local preparation efforts started before the La Niña conditions — colder-than-normal temperatures and greater-than-normal rain- and snowfall — came to bear. The city enlisted Community Emergency Response Team members to distribute more than 300 fliers to businesses and residences in the Issaquah Creek floodplain.

Autumn Monahan, city spokeswoman, encouraged residents to turn to the municipal website, Emergency Information Line — 837-3028 — Channel 21 and 1700-AM radio station for up-to-date flooding information. Residents can request free sand and bags from the city by calling 837-3470.

Since the last flood season, forecasters also changed how flood data is reported for Issaquah Creek.

In response to conflicting flood information during a deluge last December, the National Weather Service adjusted flood warning levels for the creek.

The agency now bases flood warnings on the creek flow, rather than height.

Forecasters made the adjustments in October. The switch is meant to avoid confusion between National Weather Service data and the municipal flood warning system.

The city bases warnings on real-time data from a gauge upstream from Issaquah in Hobart. The system can usually provide a few hours of lead time before flooding impacts Issaquah. The data collected by the National Weather Service comes from a downstream gauge near the creek mouth in Lake Sammamish State Park.