Send us your photos of the snow storm at news@issaquahreporter.com.

About 18,000 people are without power in Issaquah today, and the city is saying it could be three or four days before power is completely restored.

“We’re asking people to really prepare in case it takes more time for the power to come back on,” said Autumn Monahan, Issaquah spokesperson.

The outages have caused most businesses to lose power, including gas stations along I-90, meaning residents might have a hard time buying gas. For Costco members, their pumps are up and running.

The city opened a warming shelter for daytime use at Fire Station 71, located at 190 E. Sunset Way. It has yet to announce the hours, but it won’t be open overnight. Residents can use the shelter to charge their cell phones.

Public Works Operations crews continued to plow and sand roads, focusing heavily on top priority roads, such as Highlands Drive and Issaquah/Fall City Road. The crews are also working to help remove fallen trees.

The city continues to keep SR 900 closed, as several trees have fallen around and on power lines, and it will take PSE to remove several of them.

More snow is in the forecast for Issaquah and Sammamish tonight, which forecasters are saying will turn to slush when a warm front comes in tomorrow around noon.

The city is asking that as the snow melts, residents help keep the drains clear to prevent localized flooding. It’s also keeping its eyes on weather reports, as chances of lowland flooding increase when heavy amounts of snow melt too quickly, Monahan said.

The city created an Emergency Operations Center for its staff to collaborate on problem solving. For updates on city activities and services, check its website or listen to the local city radio, 1700 AM.