Residents dig out from February snowstorm
March 1, 2011
Camden Jeske (left), 9, and his brother Mason, 6, try different strategies for a successful snowball fight with their dad Terry on Feb. 24 at their home south of downtown Issaquah. By Greg Farrar
Snowflakes, egged on by a relentless drumbeat from TV meteorologists, started to fall in Issaquah just as the afternoon commute started in earnest Feb. 22.
Unlike the pre-Thanksgiving snowstorm responsible for gridlock on roads and mass transit in Issaquah and throughout the region, planners said the late February snowfall did not cause quite so many headaches.
Crews shift focus to freezing conditions on roads
February 24, 2011
A city snowplow clears a street in the Overdale Park neighborhood in North Issaquah on Thursday morning. By Bernadette Anne
NEW — 11:45 a.m. Feb. 24, 2011
Temperatures should plummet into the teens Thursday night, raising the threat of freezing conditions on roads in Issaquah and surrounding areas.
In Issaquah, all roads remain open. Municipal road crews plowed and sanded high-priority routes overnight and continue to work on lower-priority streets.
Motorists urged to use caution on morning commute
February 24, 2011
NEW — 6 a.m. Feb. 24, 2011
Issaquah-area residents awoke to deep snow in some spots and icy roads Thursday, as transportation officials urged commuters to use caution on the morning trek — or to stay home altogether.
In Issaquah, all roads remain open. Municipal road crews plowed and sanded high-priority routes overnight and continue to work on lower-priority streets.
Crews focus on priority routes and then start to clear side streets as conditions allow.
Motorists can check up-to-the-minute road conditions on real-time traffic cameras installed throughout Issaquah.
King County Road Services Division crews also deployed for 24-hour operations to combat snow and ice.
Nisqually earthquake anniversary jolts memories
February 22, 2011
Issaquah is more prepared now than during 2001 roller
Then-Skyline High School senior Sean Edwards (left) and then-4-year-old sister Quinn leaned over to look inside the cracked asphalt Feb. 28, 2001, as dad Maury looks along a crack in the 1400 block of East Lake Sammamish Parkway Southeast. File
The ground started to shake as Bret Heath stood upstairs at the old municipal public works office — the steel-frame and metal-clad structure used nowadays as the parks department maintenance facility — and in seconds, the building rolled, like a ship tossed on ocean swells.
“I remember thinking, ‘I wonder if this building is going to hold together,’” the longtime Public Works Operations and emergency management director said.
Forecasters issue flood watch as rain continues to fall
January 15, 2011
NEW — 6 a.m. Jan. 15, 2011
National Weather Service meteorologists urged residents to prepare for possible flooding as rain-sodden conditions continue throughout the region Saturday.
Forecasters in Seattle issued a flood watch through Monday afternoon for most Western Washington counties. The latest moisture-laden system could drop 3 to 6 inches of rain.
Precipitation — more rainfall and a brief-but-intense snowstorm — saturated the ground throughout from Tuesday onward.
Issaquah emergency planners reminded residents to keep storm drains near homes clear of fallen leaves and other debris. Call the city Public Works Operations Department at 837-3470 to address larger storm water issues.
Residents can receive real-time Issaquah Creek flood data from a flood gauge in Hobart. Planners use the gauge to determine the city’s flood phases.
Issaquah braces for Tuesday afternoon snowstorm
January 11, 2011
NEW — 8:30 a.m. Jan. 11, 2011
Snow is forecast to start falling after 4 p.m. Tuesday — just in time for the afternoon commute.
National Weather Service forecasters said the Issaquah area could receive 1 to 3 inches of snow Tuesday night. The chance of precipitation is 90 percent.
Residents should also brace for strong winds, including gusts up to 39 mph.
The weather service has issued a winter weather advisory for the area from 4 p.m. Tuesday until 4 a.m. Wednesday.
Meteorologists said the temperature and the snow level should rise Wednesday. Expect rainy conditions for the rest of the day and Wednesday night.
Issaquah School District schools operate on a modified schedule Tuesday to prepare for the storm.
In the meantime, motorists can check up-to-the-minute road conditions on real-time traffic cameras installed throughout Issaquah.
Snowfall could snarl Tuesday afternoon commute
January 10, 2011
NEW — 6 p.m. Jan. 10, 2011
Meteorologists reduced the amount of snow in the forecast for Tuesday night, but a brief-but-intense storm could still snarl the afternoon commute.
National Weather Service forecasters said the Issaquah area could receive 3 to 5 inches of snow Tuesday. The snowfall could start Tuesday afternoon, as the mercury drops to freezing. The chance of precipitation is 90 percent.
Residents should prepare for more snowfall Wednesday before 10 a.m. Then, meteorologists said the temperature and the snow level should rise. Expect rainy conditions for the rest of the day and Wednesday night.
Issaquah residents reported minor snowfall Sunday, but the snow showers did not cause any travel problems.
Motorists can check up-to-the-minute road conditions on real-time traffic cameras installed throughout Issaquah.
City crews mobilize to confront late December snowfall
January 4, 2011
Kelly Knox, teaches her daughter, Madelyn, 23 months, how to make a snowball Dec. 29 after snow fell in their Issaquah Highlands neighborhood park at Northeast Magnolia Street and 35th Avenue Northeast. By Greg Farrar
Snow dusted rooftops and dappled lawns in the Issaquah area as 2010 slid to a close, but snow showers did not impact commutes or cause the gridlock motorists faced during a pre-Thanksgiving snowstorm.
The last snow showers of the year started early Dec. 29. Throughout the morning, Issaquah residents at higher elevations on Cougar, Squak and Tiger mountains, plus Grand Ridge, recorded steady snowfall, after a dusting as light as confectioners’ sugar coated downtown Issaquah.
Then, the mercury dipped into the 20s in the hours after the snowfall and roads slicked by melted snow turned icy. In the meantime, graupel — granular snow resembling mini-marshmallows — left a crunchy layer on the ground.
City Public Works Operations Department and King County Road Services crews monitored conditions around the clock and deployed after nightfall Dec. 29 as the temperature dipped into the 20s.
Icy conditions continue as road crews prepare for freezing temperatures
December 30, 2010
NEW — 8 p.m. Dec. 30, 2010
City road crews remain on standby Thursday night to apply sand or de-icing fluid to Issaquah streets if needed.
In the meantime, roads remain open in Issaquah, though drivers should prepare for winter driving conditions, even on treated roads and especially at night.
National Weather Service forecasters in Seattle said the overnight temperature in Issaquah should dip to 23. Conditions should remain clear, though patchy freezing fog is expected after 10 p.m.
The high temperature Friday, New Year’s Eve, is forecast reach 38 degrees and then sink into the low 20s again in time to ring in 2011.
Motorists can check up-to-the-minute road conditions on real-time traffic cameras installed throughout Issaquah.
Crews treat Issaquah streets after overnight freeze
December 30, 2010
NEW — 10 a.m. Dec. 30, 2010
City road crews deployed early Thursday morning to apply sand and de-icing fluid to Issaquah streets after roads froze overnight.
Roads remain open in Issaquah, though drivers should prepare for winter driving conditions, even on treated roads.
Conditions should improve throughout the day as the mercury climbs to 40 after a night of below-freezing temperatures. National Weather Service forecasters said daytime Thursday and Thursday night should be clear and dry.
Motorists can check road conditions on real-time traffic cameras installed throughout Issaquah. The city debuted the program Tuesday.
King County Road Services Division planners track road conditions for roads in rural and unincorporated areas during inclement conditions.
