Big freeze is next for region battered by storm after storm

Getting a little nervous when the wind blows? You might be forgiven for jumpiness.

Less than a month after hammering winds turned the lights out for more than a million households in Washington, another storm rolled into the region Tuesday evening.

The appetizer was gusty winds in the afternoon, followed by a main course of snow or rain overnight — depending on where you live.

And now the dessert: days of ice and potentially slick roads.

And yet weather forecasters are calling all this a typical winter storm. But normal can feel a little less so after the big blow.

Echoes of the last storm were evident Tuesday in the urgent warnings issued by King County, Seattle and government agencies, warning people not to run generators or burning grills inside. In December, seven people died from carbon-monoxide poisoning.

"This year has been a bad year," said Gregg Hirakawa, spokesman for Seattle's Department of Transportation.

His agency, like many others, was plenty busy Tuesday preparing for slick roads and possible power outages.

Traffic signals at 67 intersections in Seattle were set to flashing overnight in places where it would be difficult for drivers to stop and start if there were snow and ice on the ground, according to the city Department of Transportation. The lights were being switched to operate normally this morning.

Slippery driving was the chief concern. Icy weather is expected to turn whatever overnight snow or rain there was into ice. Around the region, trucks were being readied to spread anti-icing products on the most ice-prone roadways.

The National Weather Service has predicted anywhere from a dusting of snow to as much as 2 inches in the lowlands around Seattle and Everett through today. Then it's supposed to get clear and cold, highs around freezing through Friday — and lows in the 20s.

In Seattle, city trucks were outfitted with snowplow blades, and the normal nighttime transportation staff of eight or 10 people was expected to swell to more than 30. King County expected to have 120 people working the roads overnight, with snowplows, sanding trucks and de-icers.

State transportation officials said about 200 trucks were positioned overnight throughout Puget Sound to begin de-icing roads.

Still, the State Patrol was again urging drivers to keep off the roads if they could.

"If you must be on the roads, remember to stay in your car if you break down or get stuck somewhere," said Trooper Kirk Rudeen.

Too many people abandoned their disabled vehicles during recent storms, making it that much harder for road crews to keep streets clear, he said.

The state Transportation Department and Sound Transit canceled overnight construction work throughout Snohomish and King counties so that all freeway lanes could remain open for motorists and snowplows.

Seattle Public Utilities, meanwhile, was bringing in more workers first to deal with potential flooding from rain, and then later to help with any frozen pipes that might burst. The department was hoping that people would insulate exposed pipes and shut off outside faucets, though.

The Snohomish County Public Utility District was again on the alert, with about 30 crews ready to go in case of power outages.

While winds were expected to be less than initially suggested, sustained winds of 30 to 40 mph in such saturated conditions could still pack a wallop, said PUD spokesman Neil Neroutsos.

As the wind died down Tuesday, Puget Sound Energy said about 13,000 customers lost power, primarily in Skagit, Whatcom and Island counties, said PSE spokesman Roger Thompson. He predicted most would have power back Tuesday. Another 16,000 customers on Whidbey Island lost power later Tuesday, Thompson said.

Warren Cornwall: 206-464-2311 or wcornwall@seattletimes.com