Snow means delayed flights, highway collisions and canceled ferries for travelers in the Seattle area

Snow conditions disrupted travel across the Seattle area Sunday, with delayed flights, highway collisions and canceled buses and ferries.

At Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Sunday afternoon, departure flights were delayed by an average of 50 minutes and arrival flights were delayed by an average of 30 minutes. The wait was longer on Sunday morning, reaching about an hour for both departures and arrivals.

According to FlightAware, there had been 187 delayed flights (36% of all flights) and 113 cancellations (22% of all flights) at Sea-Tac from

The last time Sea-Tac experienced such challenging snow conditions was almost two years ago, in February 2019, said Kate Hudson, a spokeswoman for the airport.

During that storm, airport workers removed enough snow from planes to fill 48 swimming pools, Hudson said. But the 201[ads1]9 storm did not happen during the holidays and a pandemic.

With the top floor of the Sea-Tac parking garage closed due to snow, officials on Sunday urged travelers to take the light rail, if possible.

The only bright spot? The airport’s security lines moved quickly Sunday afternoon, Hudson said.

There were also disturbing highway signs, with collisions and disabled vehicles reported Sunday in Seattle, South King County, Snohomish County and Eastside.

The Washington State Department of Transportation asked motorists to stay home, if possible, and if not, slow down, clear vehicles of snow before driving, and give plow crews plenty of room to work.

When some roads began to show bare spots of asphalt, officials issued a warning.

“Do not be deceived. The wet roads will turn to ice in a hurry. ” WSDOT posted on Twitter.

King County Metro buses ran on snow routes on Sunday, as did several Sound Transit express bus routes. Sound transport canceled the express bus route between Northgate and Everett, which complicates the travels for football fans from Snohomish County on their way home from an afternoon game with the Seahawks in Seattle.

Amtrak trains experienced some weather-related delays, while waterborne travelers were also affected, as Washington State Ferries closed service Sunday afternoon between Coupeville and Port Townsend.

In Seattle, work crews spent Sunday plowing and spreading salt on some of the city’s main streets, while others were left under snow.