5:50 a.m.: In Bellevue, city community centers are closed, including the Bellevue Botanical Garden and Garden d'Lights, and all recreational programs.

It's also unlikely garbage will be picked up today. If your garbage, recycling or yard debris are not collected, take materials back inside. A double load of garbage, recycling and yard debris will be collected at no additional charge on the next regularly scheduled collection day (a week later).

Emergency Shelters - Bellevue is operating an emergency overnight shelter at Crossroads Community Center, 16000 NE 10th St., from 9:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. Crossorads will not be open until 9:30 p.m. City Hall is open until 5 p.m., and the public is welcome to come in to get warm.

5:02 a.m.: Pierce Transit service may be delayed or rerouted. See a list of affected routes at piercetransit.org or call a customer service representative at (253) 581-8000 for the latest information. Pierce Transit Shuttle riders can call (253) 581-8100. Passengers should dress warmly and be prepared for delays.

In King County, Metro Transit has a very long list of bus changes today. Check to see if your route is affected.

4:22 a.m.: Pierce County government offices are closed today because of hazardous road conditions resulting from Thursday's heavy snowfall. Only public safety and other essential staff will be working.

3:28 a.m.: The National Weather Service has issued a high wind watch for the east Puget Sound lowlands the western Strait of Juan de Fuca and the west slopes of the Cascades from Saturday morning through Sunday afternoon. A winter storm watch is in effect for the Western Washington lowlands from Puget Sound westward and for the Olympics for Saturday night through Sunday night.

2:40 a.m.: Sound Transit Express Route 565 will not serve the Federal Way Transit Center until further notice. Express Route 554 will not serve the following stops until further notice: Issaquah Highlands Park-and-Ride lot; Issaquah-Pine Lake Road at Issaquah Fall City Road; Issaquah-Pine Lake Road at SE 37th Pl; South Sammamish Park-and-Ride lot.

1:55 a.m.: Many road closures and travel problems will greet morning commuters. See our traffic updates page for details.

1:40 a.m., Friday: City of Redmond closures: City parks and recreation faciliites, Farrel McWhirter Preschool and athletic fields. City Hall is anticipated to open at 10:30 a.m., but check before going.

Thursday updates

9:40 p.m.: PUD confirms that there are still some scattered power outages primarily in Arlington and Stanwood, affecting about 1,000 customers.

6:31 p.m.: Fort Lewis will continue curtailed operations on Friday, with only mission essential and critical personnel reporting for duty.

5:21 p.m.: Update for shoppers: Southcenter Mall now says it will close at 6 p.m.

4:36 p.m.: Update on the sledding accident in Kent. The victim is a teenager. Deputies say the teen was being pulled behind a car when the sled when into the bumper of a parked minivan. The teen has cuts, bruises and a possible concussion. One person could be seen being handcuffed, but it's not immediately clear who that person is.

4:35 p.m.: KING5.com producer John Goff says there is a little street party going on at Union and 18th in Seattle where a road is closed. People are sledding down the hill. About 40-50 people are gathered in the snow having fun.

3:31 p.m.: ATTENTION SHOPPERS: Bellevue Square will close around 7:30 p.m. Some stores have already closed. Snowflake Lane will be going on and theaters will be open. Tacoma Mall plans to stay open until 10 p.m., as does Southcenter Mall.

3:30 p.m.: King County Animal Care and Control is limiting where and how quickly it can respond to animal-related calls out in the field. They are asking the public to only call or e-mail King County Animal Care and Control if they have a priority call, which is defined as a person or animal being attacked or severely bitten by an animal, an injured animal, or calls about animals being left outside exposed to the elements and without protection, fresh water and food.

King County Animal Care and Control shelters located in Kent and Bellevue (Crossroads) were open for business today and will be open regular hours tomorrow, weather permitting. The Animal Care and Control Call Center (206-296-PETS) closed at 3 p.m. today. The recorded message at 206-296-PETS informs callers with emergencies to contact 9-1-1 directly.

The holiday adoption event at Kent Station scheduled for noon-4 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 20, has been cancelled.

3:09 p.m.: In Snohomish County, 2,400 customers are without power, mostly in the Arlington and north Snohomish area. Lots of heavy limbs into lines are causing these outages. There is no estimate on when power will be restored. 

3:02 p.m.: A Seattle Public Schools hearing scheduled for tonight on a proposal to close the Lowell Elementary building, has been postponed.

2:50 p.m.: All recreation programs at the City of Issaquah are cancelled today. Issaquah Municipal Court closed at noon, but is expected to reopen tomorrow at 8:30 a.m. The court's phone number is 425-837-3170.

Waste Management and Allied Waste have cancelled their service to Issaquah today. A double load will be collected at no extra cost on the next regular collection day.

2:45 p.m.: A child has been injured in a sledding accident in Kent. The youth was being towed behind another vehicle, police say.

2:40 p.m.: In reports from homeless program providers, the homeless in the downtown Tacoma and metro area have several different options. The Tacoma Rescue Mission and the Martin Luther King Jr. Shelter, when alerted by a severe weather notification, open their places 24/7, and won't turn anyone away. Families who are homeless can go to one of five provider locations during the day, including the South Sound Outreach Services, and get vouchers for motel rooms. Tacoma Rescue Mission provides the vouchers for families at night. All of the vouchers are provided from a fund administered by Associated Ministries.

In Puyallup and the East Pierce County area, there are two options. For singles who are homeless, there is a program called "Freezing Nights" where several churches take turns each evening housing those that are trying to get out of the weather. They must go to the Puyallup Police Dept. and will be taken from there to the hosting church. The other program, "Open Hearths Ministry" helps families by giving them vouchers for motels.

Anyone who would like to donate blankets, coats, jackets, hats, gloves and other warm clothes can drop off the items at the Associated Ministries who distributes the goods between the homeless shelters. The Associated Ministries office is located at 1224 S. "I" St. in Tacoma.

2:21 p.m.: The U.S. Postal Service is suggesting people clear away snow and ice from their walkways and stairs, so the mail can get through. Letter carriers make every effort to deliver the mail, but they must use good judgment and not risk personal injury posed by hazardous conditions such as climbing or descending icy stairways. Even if you're not motivated to do this to get the mail, it'll probably be helpful for anyone else coming to your house as well.

2:17 p.m.: Snohomish PUD says they still have an undetermined number of scattered outages working in the Arlington area. They’ll have a complete report later this afternoon.

1:56 p.m.: More road closures and travel problems are being reported. See our traffic updates page for more details.

More Seattle hotel deals: There is now a "snow day rate" starting at $99 at the Hotel Vintage Park and the Monaco and $109 at the Alexis. For reservations, call 1-800-KIMPTON and ask for the SNO rate. There's even a complimentary wine hour from 5-6 p.m. if you're trying to convince yourself not to drive home tonight.

1:53 p.m.: The Salvation Army's cold weather shelter in Everett, 2525 Rucker Ave., will reopen tonight, taking in guests from 8:30-10 p.m. The shelter will close at 7 a.m., Friday. Decisions on whether the shelter will re-open after that will be posted at everettsarmy.org .

1:52 p.m.: All King County Library System libraries are closing at 3 p.m. today.

1:30 p.m.: Community Transit's Website is down. Staff are working to restore service, as the site is updated regularly with weather-related reroutes and major service delays.

Buses on some routes may come only once per hour due to hazardous road conditions. All buses are chained now, so they are limited to 25 mph. Continuing reroutes on Community Transit Routes 120/121, 131, 230, 240, 271, 275, 870.

Sound Transit Route 535 serving flyer stop at 195th and 405. Sound Transit Route 510 may not be serving stops north of Everett Station.

Throughout Snohomish County, all traffic is expected to be slow, which will cause delays. Please dress warmly. If your stop is on a hill and roads are snowy or icy, please wait at the top or bottom of the hill and flag down your bus driver. Also, the "kneeler," the feature that lowers the front of the bus to allow for easier boarding and deboarding, cannot be used in very cold weather.

1:00 p.m.: In order to safely transport as many passengers as possible, King County Metro Transit will be focusing on core service on major routes for the afternoon commute and the rest of Thursday. Due to deteriorating travel conditions, Metro will cancel or severely reduce service on many of its bus routes this afternoon and evening.

The developing plan is to provide bus service on cleared highways and arterial roads, and to major transit centers and park-and-ride lots. This transit plan will continue until weather and road conditions improve, which means almost all bus service will be significantly limited.

12:54 p.m.: Several Seattle hotels are offering special snow rates for people who'd rather stay put than try to get home tonight. Check directly with hotels for special snow rates, conditions and availability. Here are three of the higher-end hotels with specials: Sheraton Seattle, (206) 621-9000; Fairmont Olympic, (206) 621-1700; and Hotel Andra, (206) 448-8600,

12:39 p.m.: In Bellevue, city community centers are closed, including the Bellevue Botanical Garden and Garden d'Lights, and all recreational programs. Emergency Shelters - Bellevue is operating an emergency overnight shelter at Crossroads Community Center, 16000 NE 10th St., from 9:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. Crossorads will not be open until 9:30 p.m. City Hall is open until 5 p.m., and the public is welcome to come in to get warm.

12:30 p.m.: Today's 2 and 7:30 p.m. Nutcracker performances are ON as scheduled at McCaw Hall. They are experiencing a high volume of calls, with limited phone service. Patrons unable to attend due to weather may exchange their tickets after they have missed their performance. Please contact the PNB Box Office only after your performance has passed to make arrangements. Tickets will be exchanged into four performances (Dec. 28 & 29 at 1 and 5:30 p.m.) with no fee, and a $5 per ticket fee for other performances.

12:01 p.m.: Sound Transit's site, soundtransit.org, appears to be experiencing high traffic volumes. If you can't reach the schedule page, northbound trains leave Seattle roughly every half-hour from 4-6:40 p.m. Southbound, they leave starting at about 3:30 p.m. until 6:45 p.m.

11:55 a.m.: Metro Transit warns afternoon bus service will be significantly limited during the afternoon commute, with the focus being on core service until weather and road conditions improve. Currently, Metro is unable to operate on many hilly and slick roads, and service to West Seattle and Redmond has been a problem all day due to closed roads. Information about bus status is available on Metro's Ice and Snow page.

You can also call Metro at (206) 553-3000, but call volumes are high and there may be a wait to talk to a representative.

11:32 a.m.: We have no reports of major power outages. There is one very small outage affecting 13 customers in Seattle, but it is not weather-related, according to Seattle City Light. A transformer went out in the Northeast 60th Street area. Power is estimated to be restored by 2 p.m.

11:28 a.m.: Bellevue is operating an emergency overnight shelter at Crossroads Community Center, 16000 NE 10th St., from 9:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. More details. 

If your garbage, recycling or yard debris are not collected in Bellevue, take materials back inside. A double load of garbage, recycling and yard debris will be collected at no additional charge on the next regularly scheduled collection day next week. Excess materials due to missed collection can be put in a temporary container, such as a box or paper bag marked "Garbage," "Recycling" or "Yard Debris.” If you have questions concerning your collection, call Allied Waste's customer service at (425) 452-4762.

11:19 a.m.: Single-family residential garbage, yard waste and recycling collection has been delayed in Seattle until Friday due dangerous road conditions. Most business and apartment services will be collected on schedule. City collection contractors will attempt to reach missed customers Friday if road conditions improve. Customers missed today should leave their containers out Friday. If materials are not collected Friday, then customers should bring in their containers until their regular collection day next week. Friday collections will also be postponed one day to Saturday.

In Kirkland, garbage service is cancelled today. North Kirkland Community Center is open with limited staff. The Thursday Downtown Action Committee meeting and the Kirkland Downtown Association community meeting about the temporary relocation of the Wednesday Market are cancelled. Kirkland Municipal Court is closed. City recreation progams and classes are cancelled. City hall is open with limited staffing, however.

In Redmond, Waste Management has cancelled garbage and recycling collection today. Since next Thursday is a holiday, materials will be picked up Friday, Dec. 26. Redmond City Hall is closed, as are parks facilities.

11:10 a.m.: The Sounder commuter train is operating as scheduled today. For commuters who made it to work today, Sounder officials are asking you to consider taking the train to make your way back home this evening and avoid treacherous road conditions. See soundtransit.org/ for the schedule.

10:50 a.m.: KING 5 News coverage will continue from 11 a.m. to noon. See the live stream link on the home page.

10:39 a.m.: We're moving traffic-specific updates to a new page to simplify your ability to get the information you need. Here's the link.

10:20 a.m.: The Salvation Army's annual Toy 'N' Joy event is open as planned at Qwest Exhibition Center in Seattle. Nearly 3,000 clients are expected between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. Families who registered and are scheduled for appointments today are encouraged to come as safety allows. Most buses to downtown are in operation on snow routes. If clients cannot make their appointments today, distribution will continue Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Anyone signed up to volunteer and can safely drive is also encouraged to come assist the families.

10:15 a.m.: Denny has been closed in downtown Seattle.

10:10 a.m.: SR 520 remains closed in both directions in Redmond. Northbound I- 405 from the Renton S curve is very slow. The worst trouble on I-405 is in Newcastle, where there are abandoned vehicles, abandoned tanker trucks and accidents.

10:05 a.m.: Westbound SR 520 remains closed due to multiple spin-outs and dangerous driving conditions. The closure begins at the Union Hill on-ramp to westbound SR 520 to West Lake Sammamish Parkway. The following ramps to westbound SR 520 are closed: SR 202, Union Hill and West Lake Sammamish Parkway.

10:00 a.m.: KING 5 reporter Gary Chittim reports from the intersection of Redmond Way and West Lake Sammamish Way, where snow is coming down hard. He says police have sealed off the top of Redmond Way. Vehicles are making their way down, but they’re not allowing anyone up. “If they try, they encounter all kinds of problems,” Chittim said.

9:45 a.m.: SkyKING shows multiple cars off the road at the Columbia way off-ramp in Seattle.

Video from Olympia shows I-5 is bare and wet through Olympia.

Northbound I-5 at Northeast 44th Street is a parking lot.

9:30 a.m.: WSDOT reports 5.8 million page views to its Web site yesterday. Normal usage is 800,000 page views a day. It’s estimated 300,000 people came to their site. (via WSDOT Twitter page)

9:15 a.m.: School is cancelled in the Renton School District.

9:10 a.m.: - Single-family residential garbage, yard waste and recycling collection has been delayed in Seattle for today due to dangerous road conditions. Most business and apartment services will be collected on schedule.  City collection contractors will attempt to service missed customers Friday, if road conditions improve.

9:00 a.m.: The King County Roads Division reports that Novelty Hill Road near Redmond and 196th Ave. SE off of Maple Valley Highway (SR-169) near Renton have been temporarily closed so crews can plow and sand the roadways. Metro Transit is unable to operate on many hilly and slick roads, and is significantly delayed everywhere by both the weather and traffic conditions.  Information about bus status is available online, but conditions are changing rapidly.

Due to inclement weather, the Kirkland Municipal Court is closed today and City recreation programs and classes are cancelled. Court cases scheduled for today, in-custody matters, and all probation appointments will be rescheduled. City Hall is open for business with limited staff.  North Kirkland Community Center and Peter Kirk Community Center are closed.

8:55 a.m.: Traffic on SR 599 is stop and go, with slush on the roadway. I-405 at Sunset Blvd is blanketed in snow. No one is moving. Redmond Police have responded to several automobile collisions caused by snow and ice conditions on the roads while several citizens have reported unsafe conditions. Roads are being closed as needed while Public Works continues to work on the conditions and as they are reported to police. Many of the roads are on hills and in the Rose Hill area.

8:50 a.m.: The Kitsap County courthouse and county offices are closed for the day due to weather.

The City of Bothell has reopened 228th Street from 4th Avenue SE to 4th Avenue West, but drivers are encouraged to avoid this area. Additionally, all City of Bothell Municipal Court contested hearings are cancelled today. For other court information, call 425.487.5587. The following City of Bothell roads remain closed: NE 180th Street from 92nd Avenue NE to SR 522, Brickyard Road from East Riverside Drive to 121st Avenue NE.

8:45 a.m.: Due to the snow, branch libraries of The Seattle Public Library will open at noon, two hours later than normal. The Central Library in downtown Seattle will open as scheduled at 10 a.m.

8:30 a.m.: Multiple lanes in both directions of SR 520 just west of Marymoor Park near Redmond remain blocked due to multiple spin-outs. WSDOT Incident Response is on scene. Drivers are advised to avoid the area.

Several collisions have caused the closure of US 101 in Port Angeles near Lake Sutherland Road in Port Angeles.

From SDOT: The full force of SDOT trucks have been out treating the in-bound major arterials since 3:30 this morning. Earlier the snow fell heaviest south of the city and into downtown, but is now increasing in the north end. An accident has been blocking the eastbound on-ramp to the high-level West Seattle Bridge; however the westbound lanes are open.

Traffic is at a crawl at 509 northbound from Burien.

7:53 a.m.: KING 5 Morning News will continue broadcasting until 10 a.m., switching from KONG 6/16 at 9 a.m. back to KING 5.

7:51 a.m.: Several spinouts on I-5 in the Olympia and Lacey. Several accidents are reported at points further south including at mileposts 91 and 96 near the Scatter Creek rest area. State Route 160 at State Route 16 has been closed due to hazardous conditions.

7:35 a.m.: Frye Art Museum in Seattle is closed, but is scheduled to re-open Friday at 10 a.m., unless weather conditions do not improve. See fryemuseum.org for updated info.

7:34 a.m.: All trips so far today for Sounder are on time.

7:33 a.m.: A bus/semi collision has blocked at least one direction on the West Seattle Bridge. The Washington State Patrol is advising people to stay away from the bridge. On I-5 at Boeing Field, a group of semi trucks unable make it up a hill there are stopped on the right side of the freeway, blocking at least one northbound lane. There is no traffic on Northbound I-405 just south of Bellevue, which appears to mean there is an accident blocking all lanes. Traffic is backed up nine miles to the Maple Valley Highway interchange.

7:32 a.m.: Rich Marriot says the convergence zone sitting over Seattle and the Eastside won't let up until about 9 or 10 a.m. today.

7:26 a.m.: Community Transit bus service in Snohomish County is operating with several reroutes. Buses on some routes may come only once per hour due to hazardous road conditions. All buses are chained now, so they are limited 25 mph, which will slow service. For more information, go to www.communitytransit.org.

7:24 a.m.: The West Seattle Bridge is closed in at least one direction due to an accident.

7:22 a.m.: Bellevue is asking people to stay off of the roads in Bellevue. Near white-out conditions early this morning have brought 3 to 4 inches of snow throughout the city. Crews are working to clear emergency routes and primary arterials routes before the forecasted hard freeze settles in and turns the snow to ice.

7:22 a.m.: State highway update - The northbound I-5 backup into Seattle is about eight miles long. "It will take some time to clear it out," says Kris Olsen with the state DOT, but it could take most of the morning. "People who have not left yet, who are thinking about it, I would advise them to think twice." Multiple lanes in both directions of SR 520, just west of Marymoor Park near Redmond remain blocked due to multiple spin-outs. WSDOT Incident Response is on scene. Drivers are advised to avoid the area.

7:05 a.m.: Sea-Tac Airport reports no weather-related delays.

6:55 a.m.: Everett Senior Activity Center, 3025 Lombard, is closed today.

6:52 a.m.: In Everett, the Forest Park Swim Center is closed this morning. Staff will re-evaluate by 11 a.m. to determine whether to remain closed. Kasch Park Ballfields are closed all day.Pooh and Friends Preschool at Forest Park and all preschool programs canceled. All morning recreation programs are cancelled. Staff will evaluate by 11 a.m. to determine if the afternoon and evening programs will also be canceled. High likelihood that afternoon and evening classes will also be canceled. Both city golf courses, Legion Memorial and Walter E. Hall, remain closed all day. They will very likely be closed all week if the temperatures remain at or below freezing.

6:48 a.m.: Pierce Transit is operating, but some service may be delayed or rerouted. A list of routes affected by the severe weather can be found at piercetransit.org . Riders can also call 253-984-8155 or talk to a customer service representative at 253-581-8000 for the latest information. Pierce Transit SHUTTLE riders can call 253-581-8100 for the latest route and service information. Service on all routes may be running slower than usual due to road and weather conditions. Service may return to regular routing on a route-by-route basis as conditions allow.

6:45 a.m.: Auburn's Street Crews began sanding/plowing and de-icing efforts beginning at approximately 12:30 a.m. with priorities to Auburn's hillside areas (Lakeland Hills, Lea Hill and West Hill.) All major arterials and snow routes are clear at this time.

6:43 a.m.: All lanes of the ramp from southbound US 101 to northbound I-5 are open to traffic. Earlier, a jack-knifed semi blocked the right lane of the ramp.

6:42 a.m.: Two Metro buses are stuck on the westbound onramp to SR 520 at West Lake Sammamish Parkway. A Metro bus driver interviewed on KING 5 News said he couldn't get up the ramp. "The chains don't work because there's just too much snow and slush underneath, so it's really slippery." The passengers have gotten off the bus and were moved to another bus on a different route.

6:40 a.m.: Meteorologist Rich Marriott expects the convergence zone snow over central Puget Sound to let up in an "hour or two." By noon, he expects only lingering snow, followed by flurries after 5 p.m.

6:37 a.m.: Northbound I-405 is backed up from south of the Kennydale area (where it's not snowing currently) to at least I-90, where it is snowing heavily. Traffic eases up in south Bellevue. SR 520 at West Lake Sammamish Parkway is at a standstill in both directions.

6:27 a.m.: Curt Boyle with the Washington State Patrol says he's seen about a half inch of snow accumulate in Eastgate in 10 minutes. Lots of stuck vehicles and semi-trucks. Anyone venturing out should have a full tank of gas in their vehicles, warm clothes with boots and snow clothes if they have to walk. If you get stuck on the freeway, don't abandon your vehicle, he says.

6:24 a.m.: More King County school closures announced.

6:16 a.m.: Several disabled vehicles and at least one accident has slowed northbound I-5 from the West Seattle Bridge in downtown Seattle, to Sea-Tac. On the north end, it's a much different story, with traffic moving smoothly in the Everett area to about Seattle's Northgate area where more snow is falling.

6:12 a.m.: Issaquah School district announces it is closing. See all school closures here.

6:10 a.m.: WSDOT's Patrick Conrad says "we have very tough road conditions" on 520 in both directions, not just at Lake Sammamish Parkway. Snow on I-405 and SR 522. "We're really encouraging drivers to take their time if they have to venture out today."

6:09 a.m.: There's at least 10 inches of snow in Stanwood, according to reporter Jane McCarthy.

6:01 a.m.: Northbound traffic on I-405 is virtually at a standstill into Bellevue. Traffic is backed up to Newcastle.

5:51 a.m.: I-5 and I-405 northbound are very slow. SR 520 is now backed up all the way into Redmond.

5:48 a.m.: Waste Management Sno-King has cancelled all services on the Eastside today, commercial and residential. That includes Bothell, Woodinville, Kirkland, Redmond, Sammamish, and Issaquah. Commercial will be picked up ASAP, and residential services will have a double load next week at no additional charge.

5:40 a.m.: Seattle School District is closed. See all school closures here. Most districts have a delay or have announced a closure.

5:37 a.m.: Vehicles unable to move on the snow/ice or an accident has snarled westbound State Route 520 at West Lake Sammamish Parkway.

5:34 a.m.: Thunder interrupted Rich Marriott's weather forecast. We saw another flash at 5:37 a.m. on the DOT cam at State Route 520 and West Lake Sammamish Parkway.

4:45 a.m.: A jack-knifed semi blocks the right lane of the ramp from southbound US 101 to northbound I-5.