The Washington State Department of Transportation wants folks to be aware that all lanes of northbound I-5 at SR-599 in Tukwila will be closed tonight (Tues., Jan. 19th) beginning at 11:30pm and continuing until 4:30am Wednesday morning.

Drivers will be detoured off I-5 onto SR-599 and will return to northbound I-5 via the Boeing Access Road.

The following ramps will also be closed from 11:30pm to 4:30am:

• Eastbound SR 518 to northbound I-5
• Interurban Avenue S. to northbound I-5

The closure will allow crews to install a new sign bridge.

Here’s a map of the area:

As if our wild and wacky winter wasn’t enough, here comes a new “Special Weather Statement” from the National Weather Service that may just freeze your weekend gardening plans – in a nutshell, it’s gonna be COLD, so protect your plants (we suggest wrapping each one individually in a Snuggie Blanket with Sleeves:

Statement as of 4:40 AM PDT on April 03, 2009

… Record lows possible Saturday morning… Wet start to April…

The cold weather in March has extended into the first few days of April for western Washington. An upper level ridge will begin building over the area later today and tonight. With the ridge building skies will clear out across western Washington overnight into Saturday morning. A very cool air mass will still be in place over the area and with the clearing skies low temperatures Saturday morning could drop to below freezing in some locations with some record breaking lows possible.

The record low for Seattle is 31 degrees set in 1948. The record for Olympia is 26 degrees set in 2001.

The best chances for below freezing temperatures will be in the southwest interior.

Persons who may already have sensitive plants in the ground will want to take preventive measures to protect the plants.

In Seattle… record rainfall has been recorded at Seattle-Tacoma Airport on both the first and the second of the month. Total rainfall for the first two days of the month was 1.31 inches which is over half the monthly normal rainfall total of 2.59 inches. The only time in Seattle weather records that more rain has been recorded on the first two days of April was back in 1915 when 1.87 inches of rain was recorded. Records go back to 1891.

Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna has released this alert, about a telephone scam in which Spanish-speaking callers claim to be from “the insurance agency”:

Callers claim to be from “the insurance agency”

SEATTLE – The Washington Attorney General’s Office is alerting residents about a phone scam in which Spanish-speaking callers claim to be representatives of an insurance company.

Hispanic business owners from Seattle to Yakima and Spokane have reported receiving phone calls from Spanish-speaking callers who claim to be from “the insurance company.” In some cases, the callers also provide the names of actual insurance companies and/or agents.

The callers ask for bank account information they claim is needed to process insurance payments. The callers have left messages if owners aren’t home, along with phone numbers that start with 800, 877 and 752 area codes.

At least two individuals provided bank information to their cons, according to Unico Insurance Agency in Woodinville, which reported the fraud to the Attorney General’s Office. Company owner Carlos Garces said he has received more than 200 calls from customers, primarily restaurant owners, in recent months inquiring about phone calls. In some cases, the cons have mentioned his name. Garces said he is doing what he can to protect his customers and telling them to contact their bank if they provided any information.

The owner of a Spokane grocery store and deli also contacted the Attorney General’s Office after receiving more than 10 calls from individuals who claimed to be associated with various insurance companies. He said the callers, both men and women appeared to be friendly and tried to build up his trust. They claimed they needed to send an investigator to the business. The owner recognized the scam and did not provide any personal information.

As a reminder, never provide your bank account, Social Security number or other personal information to someone who asks for it by phone, e-mail or text message.

If you believe a call might be legitimate, ask for the caller’s name and contact details then end the conversation. Call the business directly using the number on your insurance card, statement or in the phone book.

If you believe you may have provided information in response to a fraudulent phone call, report the information immediately to your bank and place a fraud alert on your credit report.

To read this in Español, click here.

As we were returning (slowly of course) on Sylvester Road from an all-day excursion to the eastside, we were nearly run off the road by an approaching large truck-like vehicle in the opposite lane.

Turns out it was a snowplow.

An actual snowplow.

Plowing the snow.

In Brrrien!

As you may recall from a report we did on Thursday (Dec. 18th), several Burien-area residents were upset enough with the previous lack of city snowplowing and road care that they posted numerous rants on Craigslist.

Speaking of Mr. Plow, the City of Seattle sends us this press release about their road-clearing efforts, which we’ve truncated here:

At a briefing this evening at the Emergency Operations Center, Mayor Greg Nickels announced that a fleet of 27 snow plows are clearing Seattle roads and seven utility repair crews stand ready to respond as a winter storm hits the region.

The city of Seattle activated its Emergency Operations Center at 2 pm on Saturday, coordinating responses by the Department of Transportation, Seattle City Light, Seattle Public Utilities, Human Services, Police, Fire and Parks departments.

Snow and ice removal crews will continue clearing arterial roads through the night. Road conditions may become icy tonight as temperatures drop. Two trucks will be dedicated to the West Seattle Bridge and the Alaskan Way Viaduct. The Seattle Department of Transportation is urging residents only to drive if necessary.

A primary concern tonight is expected to be high winds, particular in east King County. At this hour, there are no power outages within the city of Seattle, but City Light is prepared to call in as many crews as needed if conditions change.

Three severe weather shelters remain open at least through Monday night: City Hall, Frye Hotel, and Seattle Center Pavilion B. Shelter beds are still available. Last night, 143 people stayed at the three shelters. During the day, Seattle residents can find warm, public space at Parks Department community centers and the Seattle Center. The following community centers will be open on Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.: Garfield Community Center, Rainier Beach Community Center, South Park Community Center, Rainier Community Center and Hiawatha Community Center.

Seattle’s recycling and garbage transfer stations will be closed tomorrow. Solid waste customers who were missed for pickup today should bring in their containers until next week.

Not to be outdone, the City of Burien issued its own safety alert this afternoon:

SEVERE WEATHER ALERT: Snow & high winds are predicted for today, and Burien residents are urged to be prepared for possible power outages and extreme cold.

The City of Burien is monitoring conditions and will post updated information as it becomes available to the City website (www.burienwa.gov).

All Parks & Recreation programs and facility rentals are canceled. Metro Bus Service is severely impacted.

For complete and up-to-date information regarding this severe storm, visit the National Weather Service website at www.weather.gov/seattle.

Of course we went to the city’s website, expecting to see more detailed info, but alas, the most recent update was from yesterday (Fri. 12/19). Hmmm…

Also, here’s the latest Winter Storm Warning from our friends at the National Weather Service:

A Winter Storm Warning remains in effect until 10 am PST Sunday.

Another round of heavy snow is expected tonight through Sunday morning. Heaviest snow will occur on the Kitsap peninsula… along Hood Canal… and from Olympia and Chehalis west to the central coast near Ocean Shores. 10 to 18 inches of snow is expected close to the Hood Canal. Other locations within this area should get 5 to 12 inches of snow.

Along the I-5 Corridor North of Tacoma… including Seattle and Everett… storm total snowfall of 4 to 8 inches is expected. In general… lighter amounts will occur near the Cascade foothills with heavier amounts farther west along the shores of Puget Sound. Some parts of eastern King County… where wind is a big threat… will receive 1 inch or less of snowfall.

Late tonight into Sunday morning… freezing rain is possible in Grays Harbor County and the lower Chehalis valley. If more precipitation occurs in the form of freezing rain than snow…  then an ice storm would be possible with ice accumulations in excess of one quarter of an inch. Ice storms are capable of causing power lines and large tree branches to snap and cause major travel disruptions.

Precautionary/preparedness actions…

A Winter Storm Warning means significant amounts of snow… sleet… and ice are expected or occurring. Strong winds are also possible. This will make travel very hazardous or impossible.

And the B-Town Blog Weather Rock™’s first-hand (or rock) report is thus:

• As of 7pm 12/20, 1-inch of new snow has accumulated since the storm moved in this afternoon. We now have between 5-7 inches of snow here, and growing.
• The new snow is icier, powdery, and harder to make snowballs and snowpeople with. Dang.
• This type of icy snow sparkles in the basking glow of the still-functioning street lights. Purdy.
• The Weather Rock™ predicts 3-5 inches will fall overnight.
• The Weather Rock™ has detected little or no wind. Yet.
• Our new kerosene heater is still sitting in its box, awaiting emergency use for potential power outages.
• Some sleet is mixed in with this batch of precipitation – evidenced as it clumped up quickly into freezing messes on the windshield as we drove. Is this a sign of a potential “ice storm” that may be developing? Stay tuned…

NOTE: THIS POSTING IS FROM 12/17/08:

We’re tired of waiting for the snow.

We’re tired of looking out the windows, squinting at street lights in hopes of seeing those oh-so-elusive white flakes fluttering by like lost, downward-spiraling moths.

So, we’re resorting to the lazy man’s snow watch – live webcam feeds!

Check the webcams below through the night and make sure you refresh the page for the latest images.

Also keep your eye on the Weather Button on the right sidebar for the current temp and any new weather “Advisory.”

If you see snow, be sure to turn off your alarm clock, since tomorrow will surely be a “real” snow day (yeah right):

According to King County officials, a very heavy rainstorm is en route to our area (due here ’round Thursday) and we here at the B-Town Blog have a common-sense suggestion that may take your mind off all those dang political thangs going on today:

In-between watching election results, why not go outside and clear out your nearest storm drain?

Here’s some info lifted directly from the King County website:

Heavy rainfall is forecast for later this week, which means King County residents should be prepared to deal with flooding and weather-related emergencies.

“Our crews are prepared for the first potentially serious storm of the season,” said Harold Taniguchi, director of the King County Department of Transportation. “And, as the storm season starts, our Road Services Division already has overnight crews out in the field on the watch for weather-related problems.”

Throughout the storm season, Road Division crews will try to stay one step ahead of the natural elements when it comes to dealing with rain, snow, ice and wind. But, county residents can also do their part.

“We really appreciate it when residents help us out with simple things like clearing leaves away from storm drains, not abandoning their cars  or driving through floodwater, and calling us about problems in their unincorporated neighborhoods,” said Tony Ledbetter, maintenance superintendent for the Road Division.

Residents are also encouraged to report problems on roads in unincorporated King County by calling (206) 296-8100, or 1-800-KC ROADS if they live outside the greater Seattle calling area.