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Inclement Weather Resources 

Tacoma FIRST 311

Dial: 3-1-1

Phone: (253) 591-5000

311 Web Page

Public Works

Emergencies
Phone: (253) 591-5495

Fallen Trees in Rights-of-Way
Phone: (253) 591-5495

Public Works Web Page

Environmental Services

Clogged Street Drains
Phone: (253) 591-5585

Garbage & Recycling – Missed Pickups
Phone: (253) 502-2100

Environmental Services Web Page

Tacoma Power

Tacoma Power
Phone: (253) 502-8729

Power Outages
Phone: (253) 502-8602

TPU Power Outage Map

Additional Contacts & Information

Non-Emergencies

If this is an emergency, please call 911.

Non-Emergencies
United Way of Tacoma-Pierce County
Phone: 211

Tacoma Public Schools

Find school closures and delays on their website.

View statewide results and real-time alerts on the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) website.

Preparing for Adverse Weather

Here’s your comprehensive resource for navigating adverse weather conditions in our community. You’ll find essential information and services designed to keep you safe and informed during storms, snow, extreme heat, and other inclement weather events. From snow removal and road conditions to emergency assistance and preparation tips, our goal is to equip Tacoma residents with the tools they need to stay resilient and connected. Explore the resources below to ensure you and your loved ones are prepared.

Summer Weather Resources and Information

For the 2025 summer inclement weather season for heat and smoke, Neighborhood and Community Services is partnering with the Tacoma Library, outreach teams (contracted and non-contracted), and volunteers to ensure that unsheltered individuals have access to water and masks, and information about cooling centers and sheltering throughout the City.

For 85 degrees or higher and/or Air Quality over 101, the City will supply both unsheltered and sheltered individuals with water and masks depending on need.

For 90 degrees or higher and/or Air Quality over 151, the City will continue to supply resources and open up cooling and air quality centers for daytime relief and/or possible nighttime relief for smoke.

Summer-weather expanded shelter and resources are typically available between May and September.

The following locations will offer daytime cooling and overnight relief, if needed, during acute inclement weather events:

  • Catholic Community Services’ Nativity House (702 South 14th Street) will provide overflow shelter beds for an additional 80 beds.
  • Valeo Vocation will provide 20 overflow beds for young adults 18-24 years of age at the Beacon Young Adult Shelter (415 South 13th Street).
  • The City will also continue to support the library system with water on inclement weather days. Visit the Tacoma Public Library’s web page for hours and locations.

Winter Weather Resources and Information

City crews plow and de-ice streets on a priority level, beginning with primary arterial streets, followed by secondary and auxiliary routes. City crews clear one traffic lane in each direction on prioritized Snow Routes. The time required to work through the primary, secondary, and auxiliary routes depends on the intensity of a particular snowstorm and how much snow or ice accumulates. Crews aren’t able to remove snow from residential streets.

Winter-weather expanded shelter will be available for activation between November 15, 2025, and March 31, 2026

Stormy Weather – 35 degrees or lower (overnight) with wind or rain:

Additional shelter bed space is activated for unsheltered individuals. See panel below for shelter locations.

Cold Weather – 32 degrees or lower (overnight):

Additional shelter bed space is activated for unsheltered individuals. See panel below for shelter locations.

  • Catholic Community Services’ Nativity House (702 South 14th Street) – 20 beds for adults 18 and over
  • Beacon Young Adult Shelter (415 South 13th Street) – 20 beds for young adults ages 18-24
  • Saint Vincent de Paul – 20 hotel vouchers for hotel rooms in various locations that can support all households as needed
  • Tacoma Public Libraries are available to the public as warming centers during regular library hours. Visit the Tacoma Public Library’s website for a complete list of locations and hours.
  • Pierce County Libraries are open during business hours for the public. Visit https://mypcls.org/visit-the-library/locations-hours for a complete list of library locations and hours.

Pierce Transit and the Public Works Department have worked together to ensure that transit routes are ready for winter weather. Residents are encouraged to leave their vehicles at home and use public transportation during storms.

View City of Tacoma’s Snow Routes Map.

View Pierce Transit Snow Routes.

In Tacoma, City crews start anti-icing operations at the first report of freezing temperatures. Crews mobilize and pre-treat the anti-icing routes with salt brine (a saltwater solution), which reduces the bonding of ice to the streets. Depending on the severity and intensity of the forecasted freezing temperatures, crews will pre-treat the City’s Street system based on the following priorities: bridges, bridge approaches, shaded hills, and curves. Crews will pre-treat designated snow routes if snow is also in the forecast.

As snow begins to melt that runoff could clog storm drains and downspouts resulting in urban flooding. Community members are encouraged to shovel snow from walkways and driveways to make a drainage path for melting snow to flow away from homes. The snow shoveled from these areas should remain on that property and not be placed in the street. In addition, clear storm drains, downspouts, and drainage ditches of snow, leaves, and debris to help prevent urban flooding.

Per Tacoma Municipal Code (TMC) 9.16.050, property owners must see to the removal of snow and ice from bordering public sidewalks every 24 hours. City crews clear sidewalks of snow and ice only from sidewalks adjacent to City-owned properties. Together, these efforts help members of our community to get around safely.

If your containers were not picked up due to unsafe road conditions in your neighborhood, please leave your containers out. The City will collect them as soon as it is safe for crews to do so.

Tacoma’s shelter operators make space accommodations to expand overnight sheltering options while maintaining safety. If you need shelter, please contact shelter operators directly or call 211 to reach United Way of Tacoma-Pierce County.

Tacoma Senior Centers follow the same closure schedule as Tacoma Public Schools. For more information, visit the Senior Centers web page.

Additional Resources

If your street is flooding, it is often caused by a catch basin that is covered with leaves, plastic bags, or other debris. Use a rake, broom or blower to regularly remove debris from the street catch basin grate near your home or business. With more than 18,000 catch basins to manage, the City can’t get to them all during heavy rains. We need your help. If the catch basin in your street is clear and there is still street flooding.

The City’s Public Works and Environmental Services departments are providing free sandbag supplies to the public for personal use. While supplies last, community members can come to one of two locations to shovel and load their sandbags. Both locations are open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., from September 30, 2024, through March 30, 2025.

  • Tacoma Asphalt Plant at 3010 Center St. in Tacoma. Call (253) 591-5495 for more information.
  • Central Wastewater Treatment Plant at 2201 Portland Ave. E., Gate 3, in Tacoma. Call (253) 502-2150 for more information.

Abutting property owners are responsible for maintaining the right-of-way in a manner that is safe for the public, including fallen trees in planting strips. Public Works will remove sections of downed trees that are blocking the street or sidewalk only. Tree debris will be placed in the planting strip between the sidewalk and the curb by the owner’s property for the property owner to arrange disposal.

Power lines from pole to house are the property owner’s responsibility to maintain. However, you may report trees hung up in power lines or down lines to Tacoma Power (253) 502-8729.

To report an outage please call (253) 502-8602 or report an outage through MyTPU.

To have the power shut off for pruning, please call Tacoma Power and leave a message at (253) 502-8729.

Severe winter weather is hard on city streets, as freezing temperatures and heavy rains can bring an increase in potholes. Reporting a pothole is as simple as calling the City’s Customer Support Center at 311 within Tacoma city limits or (253) 591-5000 from anywhere else, or by visiting the Tacoma FIRST 311 online resource page.

Once the request is submitted, it usually takes Public Works Street Operations crews five days to fulfill the request, however with the volume of calls being received recently, it may take crews longer to respond.

View local weather services and statewide results on the National Weather Service website.

Power outages occur due to both planned and unplanned events. Stay in the know when your power goes out by visiting the Tacoma Public Utilities website.

Learn how to keep your family safe during a flood and how to clean up a flooded home by visiting the Red Cross’s website.

Get real-time travel alerts and view statewide results on the WSDOT website.

Visit the Emergency Management web page for more information.

Pierce County Department of Emergency Management (PCDEM) can facilitate priority setting, inter-agency cooperation, and the efficient flow of resources and information. Learn more about their services on their website.

Prepare yourself and your family for disasters. Learn more on the Emergency Management Division’s website.

Prepare for disasters with tips from www.ready.gov — an official website of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Learn how to stay safe during a blizzard, how to prevent or thaw frozen pipes and more at the Red Cross’s website.

View winter weather preparedness tips and resources on the Take Winter by Storm website.