White Center Now: The blog about White Center

Announced this afternoon:

With high temperatures expected to reach the mid-90’s throughout the weekend and with extremely dry conditions, King County Fire Marshal Chris Ricketts has issued a Stage 1 fire safety burn ban for the unincorporated areas starting Friday.

The Stage 1 fire safety burn ban – which is being issued in coordination with the King County Fire Chiefs Association – applies to all outdoor burning, except for barbecues and small recreational fires in established fire pits at approved campgrounds or private property with the owner’s permission.

“Extreme heat and especially dry conditions have increased the risk of wildfire dramatically,” Ricketts says. “People in both rural and urban unincorporated areas need to be careful and use caution.”

Recreational fires still pose a risk, so their use shall be limited and respected accordingly.

Approved Recreational Burn Requirements:

Firewood shall be seasoned and dry
Be built in a metal or concrete fire pit, such as those typically found in designated campgrounds; and not be used as debris disposal
Grow no larger than 3 feet in diameter
Be in a clear spot free from any vegetation for at least 10 feet in a horizontal direction, including at least 25 feet away from any structure and allow 20-foot vertical clearance from overhanging branches.
Recreational fires shall be attended at all times by an alert individual and equipment capable of extinguishing the fire with a shovel and a 5-gallon bucket of water or with a connected and charged water hose.
Completely extinguish campfires by pouring water or moist soil in them and stirring with a shovel until all parts are cool to the touch. The use of self-contained camp stoves is encouraged as an alternative.
No burning when winds exceed 15 mph.

If your property is inside city limits, residents must contact their local jurisdiction for their requirements.

This ban remains in effect until further notice.

People in unincorporated King County who suffered damage from the recent snow and rain are asked to report it ASAP. Here’s the announcement:
King County Office of Emergency Management (KCOEM) is collecting damage reports from residents and businesses from the winter cold, snow, and subsequent flooding events that have occurred since December 24, 2021. This will assist the state in its request for a federal disaster declaration.

Damage information will be gathered through Thursday, Jan. 20 from residents and businesses in unincorporated King County so it can be compiled and submitted to the Washington State Emergency Management Division.

Just announced by Highline Public Schools: Because of the weather – as all that snow turns to slush – all schools will be on a 2-hour delay tomorrow (Monday, January 3rd). From the district website:

Buses will stop at regular stops – two hours later than normal.

There will be no breakfast, no morning or afternoon classes for preschool and ECEAP, and no morning classes for PSSC. Afternoon classes for PSSC will be on time. All before-school programs are canceled, including clubs, activities and in-school daycare. No transportation will be provided to schools outside of our district.

Schools will dismiss at regular times.

Staff Instructions
Staff are expected to report to work as close to on time as possible. Please use your judgement on whether it is safe for you to travel to work. See an outline of expectations for employees for inclement weather on the Staff Hub.

(Thanks to Gill Loring for sending the photos!)

It’s New Year’s Eve-Eve, and day 5 of significant snow on the ground … and the streets, and the decks, and the porches …

The official snow total for last night/today, at Sea-Tac, was just over 2″, and the snow total for December is now up to 8″. The National Weather Service does not forecast much more, and says that by Sunday, we’ll finally be back in the 40s.

Until then, be careful – side streets look like the ones in the photos above, while the arterials have been addressed – five White Center traffic cams are on the “south” tab of this page.

(King County traffic cam, 16th/100th, 3 pm)

The National Weather Service’s “winter storm warning” for our area has expired, and the snow has mostly stopped, but now we’re facing three-plus days of very cold weather. First, a few resources – checking for plowed roads? Go here. Checking the forecast/weather conditions? Go here. Now, as for the weather – it’s not expected to get above freezing until Thursday.

The heat wave has brought temorary schedule changes for some businesses. Among them: White Center’s Southgate Roller Rink, closed all weekend because of the weather.

We’re now under an Excessive Heat Warning through Monday. Just received this announcement about the site once set up (but never used) for pandemic quarantine/isolation:

With high temperatures expected to soar past 100 degrees through the early part of next week, the county will make 20 air-conditioned units available from 4 p.m., Saturday to 10 a.m., Wednesday. Overnight stays will be available.

The White Center Cooling Center is located at 206 SW 112th St., in the Top Hat neighborhood.

Those who are interested should call 206-572-5557.

The center will offer a way for residents—including those experiencing homelessness—to escape the heat. The center will welcome overnight stays as well as an air-conditioned area with water and refreshments for shorter visits.

Those who stay overnight will be able to enter and leave the facility from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. The doors will be locked outside of those hours, with some exceptions for late arrivals.

Service and emotional support animals are welcome. Masks and social distancing guidelines will be followed per Washington State and King County requirements.

Teams from King County and the White Center Community Development Association will staff the site, and private security will be on-site day and night.

This effort is a partnership between DCHS, Local Services, FMD and the White Center Community Development Association.

At this time, the White Center Cooling Center will be the only such facility offered in unincorporated King County. You can find other cooling centers on the King County Emergency Management blog.

With a heat wave on the way, an outdoor burn ban is about to kick in. Here’s the announcement:

King County Fire Marshal Chris Ricketts has issued a Stage 1 fire safety burn ban for the unincorporated areas of King County starting Thursday. The ban will remain in effect until further notice.

The weather forecast calls for temperatures in the mid-90’s throughout the weekend, with readings climbing to nearly 100 degrees Sunday. The National Weather Service has issued an Excessive Heat Watch for King County.

The Stage 1 fire safety burn ban applies to all outdoor burning, except for barbecues and small recreational fires in established fire pits at approved campgrounds or private property with the owner’s permission.

“Extreme heat and especially dry conditions have increased the risk of wildfire dramatically,” Ricketts says. “People in both rural and urban unincorporated areas need to use caution.”

Recreational fires still pose a risk, so their use shall be limited and respected accordingly. Ricketts says recreational fires must:

-Be built in a metal or concrete fire pit, such as those typically found in designated campgrounds, and not be used as debris disposal
-Be no larger than three feet in diameter
-Be located in a clear spot, free from any vegetation for at least ten feet in a horizontal direction and at least 25 feet away from any structure, and allow 20 feet of vertical clearance from overhanging branches
-Be attended at all times by an alert individual with equipment capable of extinguishing the fire

If your property is inside city limits, please contact your local jurisdiction for their requirements. This ban remains in effect until further notice.

With Fourth of July fireworks sales beginning across the county, Ricketts also reminds users to stay mindful of their surroundings when discharging fireworks.

It’s every individual’s responsibility to help prevent fires that destroy lives, property, and our wildlands. For more information, visit the Local Services Fire Marshal’s website.

That’s the view of downtown White Center this afternoon, as captured by the Seattle Department of Transportation traffic camera at 16th and Roxbury. The snowy scene is on its way out, though, as the temperature rises above freezing and rain moves in. The area’s two-day total – Friday-Saturday – was 11.1 inches, #15 on the all-time list of two-day totals. Thanks to Gill for capturing some neighborhood scenes:

Get ready for the big meltdown – stay safe as things get slushy!

Thanks to Gill for the photo of a snowy White Center street. As you’re likely well aware, the snow has arrived, and is expected to pile up – at least a few inches – overnight. Please don’t go out unless you absolutely must – lots of reports of stuck drivers and slick roads out there. Here are some links of note:

Winter Storm Warning alert (through 4 pm Saturday)
All Metro buses on snow routes
King County winter-response map (traffic-camera links included)

We’ll be adding more.

Thanks to Gill for the photo as the first wave of snow arrived in White Center. It started as flurries and then intensified to a light but steady snowfall for the past hour or so – the Winter Storm Watch alert isn’t officiqlly in effect until Friday afternoon, though, and that’s when the serious snow is expected.