wsf travel bulletins

TIPS ON TRAVELING BY FERRY

Getting to lopez:.

The Washington State Ferry (WSF) system allows reservations to be made for travel from Anacortes to Lopez Island and they are highly recommended especially from May through September. Please be sure to check out the information at their website: About the Reservation System .

Release dates: Reservation spaces will be released in groups: one-third 2 months before a new schedule goes into effect, one-third 2 weeks prior to a sailing and one-third 2 days prior to a sailing. Spaces are released at 7AM (PST).

Availability: Remember that when you first try to book a reservation, it may appear that there is no space on the sailing you want. But if you wait until the next release date to get a reservation (2 weeks or 2 days before) you may be able to reserve a spot. Also, there is at least 10% standby space available on every sailing. Depending on the number of reservation cancellations, this number can be higher. On the day of your sailing, the Anacortes Space Availability chart is very helpful.

Travel tips: WSF hopes that the reservation system will reduce congestion in Anacortes. But there still may be waiting lines to reach the ticket booth, so be sure to allow extra time. You must go through the ticket booth in order to pay your fare. You must arrive at the ferry and be through the ticket booth no later than 30 minutes prior to sailing in order to use your reservation. We recommend getting there 60 to 90 minutes in advance to make sure you have time to get through the lines and onto your chosen ferry. If you miss your reserved ferry, you can still show up and travel stand-by. If you missed your reservation, be sure to show the person at the ticket booth your reservation confirmation so you will get credit for traveling on the same day and avoid the no-show fee.

No Show Fee: If you make a reservation and don’t use it on the intended day, you will be charged a $10 No-Show fee (for standard vehicles. More for longer vehicles).

Changes/Cancellations: Reservations can be changed up to 2 hours before sailing time – but it’s best to do it the day before to avoid confusion. You can cancel your reservation without penalty up until 5 p.m. the day before your reserved sailing. There is one free change after 5 p.m. of the previous day, but it has to be done before the lockout period, which is 2 hours before sailing time.

General Release Policy

*Reservation space is released at 7:00 a.m. For example, spaces on a 5:00 p.m. sailing on Wednesday are released at 7:00 a.m. on Monday.

Want to visit another island? Inter-Island walk-ons are free!

Leaving Lopez:

NOTE: Reservations cannot be made for travel from Lopez back to Anacortes , so plan to arrive at the Lopez ferry terminal well ahead of the time you hope to depart. Please be advised that in the busy season (May through September and especially July and August) the heaviest traffic leaving Lopez is on a Sunday (or Monday in case of a 3 day weekend). Fourth of July is our busiest holiday and traffic on July 5th is always extremely heavy. You may need to arrive two hours (or more) before your sailing time on the busiest days.

Make sure you have activities and food with you in case you have to wait longer than expected. There is no food service or drinking water available at the ferry landing. Restrooms are available but may be a significant distance from where you are parked in line. Taking a walk or bike ride (if you have your bicycle with you) are about the only activities available while you wait.

Each ferry departing Lopez is assigned a number or quota of vehicles and those spaces are filled on a first in line/first boarded basis. The ferry quotas listed below can help you judge how early you need to arrive.

Spring Schedule Ferry Quotas (from Lopez to Anacortes) :

NOTE : Quotas are subject to change without notice by WSF depending on operational conditions and are NOT guaranteed.

When is the best time to travel? WSF has provided charts of congestion patterns from past seasons to help you decide when to travel. Visit the Current Schedule and click on Best Travel Times, on upper right side.

Lopez Ferry Landing: (360) 468-4095 (please be aware this phone does not take messages and will not be answered when the ferry landing is very busy or when there is a ferry in the dock.)

Webcam at the Lopez Ferry Landing

WSF has installed a webcam system at the ferry landing – with a view from the bottom of the hill looking up at the holding area, and another view from the top of the hill looking at the holding lane that stretches back along the road. This is a great way to get a feel for the traffic on Lopez. View Webcam .

Helpful Links:

Sign up for Alerts – Create an account and receive bulletins by text or email. Includes reservation and standby status updates, sailing time status, as well as changes in the schedule for any reason. You select the route and the level of information you want to receive.

Ferry Schedule : Spring Schedule March 24rd-June 15th

Make a Reservation About the Reservation System

Current Ferry Bulletins – Want to see if there are any delays or schedule changes? View all the posted bulletins.

Anacortes Space Availability – This helpful chart shows how many spaces are left on each ferry sailing today – updated by the minute (also shows Anacortes webcams).

Vessel Watch – See where the ferries are enroute. Ferry Fares

Contact WA State Ferries:

• 1.888.808.7977
• 1.800.843.3779 (automated)
• Out of State: 206.464.6400
• Seattle: 206.464.6400

WAVE2GO Online Tickets

Make Reservations

Anacortes / San Juan Islands Ferry Alerts

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (360) 468-4664

Toll Free: (877) 433-2789

Useful Links

WSF moves to severe weather schedules

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Washington State Ferries will shift to severe weather schedules on all of its ferry routes through Sunday, Feb. 14.

The scheduling change was announced by WSF just before 11 a.m. Saturday as a winter storm continued across Western Washington.

WSF said travelers should plan ahead and check the severe weather schedules online and give themselves plenty of extra time to arrive to the terminal before their desired departure.

Travel to ferry terminals may take longer than normal due to road conditions, WSF added.

WSF also said reservation rules have been relaxed, and customers who may be traveling on reservation routes will not be charged no-show fees should they choose not to travel.

Travel alerts can be found at the WSF Travel Bulletins page .

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WSF Reminder - Reservations Available March 9 for Travel Between May 9 and Sept. 25

As Washington State Ferries continues to operate under the constraints of the COVID pandemic, it will extend its current schedule through May 8. Currently vehicle reservations on the Anacortes/San Juan Islands and Port Townsend/Coupeville routes are available two weeks or two days in advance of the sailing date through March 27. Vehicle reservations for the period between March 28 and May 8 were released on Tuesday, Feb. 2.

A modified “peak season” service will begin on May 9 for all routes and run through Saturday, Sept. 25. This will bring increased service to the San Juan Islands and add a second vessel to the Port Townsend/Coupeville route. International service to and from Sidney, B.C. remains suspended due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.

Reservations for the May 9-Sept. 25 “peak season” will be available tomorrow, March 9. Reservations can be booked online or by calling 206-464-6400 and speaking with an Information Agent. Customers can also call that number should they have questions or need additional information.

The safety of our customers and crew is WSF’s top priority. Please remember that all traveling customers are required to wear face coverings inside the terminal, at the tollbooth and aboard the ferry. Please also consider limiting your travel to only the most essential trips while service continues to be constrained by the pandemic. For additional travel information regarding COVID-19, visit the COVID-19 Travel Updates webpage .

You can view all travel alerts at the WSF Travel Bulletins page.

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• Traffic Lab

WA State Ferries to open winter reservations (with some changes)

Washington State Ferries is opening winter vehicle reservations at 10 a.m. Tuesday, one week later than normal.

The 10 a.m. start time also is three hours later than previous 7 a.m. releases, an adjustment recommended by the San Juan Islands Ferry Advisory Committee to curb high demand, the agency said.

Reservations being released this week cover travel from Dec. 31 through next March 23.

The adjustment is designed to help manage the high demand for reservations released two months ahead of sailing dates. Additional reservations, available two weeks and again two days ahead of sailing dates, will still be released at 7 a.m. daily.

The agency has lowered the number of vehicle reservations available on the Anacortes/San Juan Islands run from 90% of capacity to 75% — leaving 25% for standby — because of crew and vessel availability constraints.

Of the 75% of space available for reservations, 25% will be released at 10 a.m. Nov. 7, another 25% two weeks before each specific sailing and the final 25% two days before sailing. Those release times will be at 7 a.m.

The department said the added standby space will help ensure that reservation holders still make their trips during service disruptions. It will also allow customers the opportunity to travel without a reservation.

In addition, the department is releasing all reservations (80% of available space) on the Port Townsend/Coupeville route at 10 a.m. Tuesday.

Meanwhile, delays Monday are expected across the system as Bainbridge’s overhead loading facility is out of service, the opening of Seattle’s Marion Street pedestrian bridge is delayed and the Edmonds/Kingston route is down to one boat.

The overhead loading facility at the Bainbridge terminal is temporarily out of service for unplanned maintenance, the agency said early Monday.

Walk-on passengers will load on the car deck until repairs are completed, and customers should expect delays and plan accordingly, WSF said.

The new Marion Street pedestrian bridge set to open Monday in Seattle is delayed. With no elevated crossing over Alaskan Way, walk-on passengers at Colman Dock will need to use the elevators and stairways, along with crosswalks and city streets to and from First Avenue, to access the upper level for ticketing. A signed detour will be set up.

Customers also should plan on longer than normal wait times with the Edmonds/Kingston route operating on a one-boat service Monday on the #1 sailing schedule, WSF said.

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United Arab Emirates struggles to recover after heaviest recorded rainfall ever hits desert nation

The United Arab Emirates is struggled to recover from the heaviest recorded rainfall ever to hit the desert nation, as its main airport worked to restore normal operations even as floodwater still covered portions of major highways and roads. (AP video/Malak Harb)

The desert nation of the United Arab Emirates attempted to dry out Wednesday from the heaviest rain ever recorded there after a deluge flooded out Dubai International Airport, disrupting flights through the world’s busiest airfield for international travel.

Record-breaking rainfall has flooded the desert nation of the United Arab Emirates, a drought in Colombia has residents rationing water and unusual springtime snow has swept the Western Balkans. Why is it happening?

Skye, a Husky dog, sits near floodwater in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, April 18, 2024. The United Arab Emirates attempted to dry out Thursday from the heaviest rain the desert nation has ever recorded, a deluge that flooded out Dubai International Airport and disrupted flights through the world’s busiest airfield for international travel. (AP Photo/Jon Gambrell)

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A tanker truck sits abandoned in floodwater in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, April 18, 2024. The United Arab Emirates attempted to dry out Thursday from the heaviest rain the desert nation has ever recorded, a deluge that flooded out Dubai International Airport and disrupted flights through the world’s busiest airfield for international travel. (AP Photo/Jon Gambrell)

Two men walk through floodwater in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Wednesday, April 17, 2024. The desert nation of the United Arab Emirates attempted to dry out Wednesday from the heaviest rain ever recorded there after a deluge flooded out Dubai International Airport, disrupting the world’s busiest airfield for international travel. (AP Photo/Jon Gambrell)

A woman takes a selfie in floodwater in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Wednesday, April 17, 2024. The desert nation of the United Arab Emirates attempted to dry out Wednesday from the heaviest rain ever recorded there after a deluge flooded out Dubai International Airport, disrupting the world’s busiest airfield for international travel. (AP Photo/Jon Gambrell)

A man sits in a semitruck stuck in floodwater in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Wednesday, April 17, 2024. The desert nation of the United Arab Emirates attempted to dry out Wednesday from the heaviest rain ever recorded there after a deluge flooded out Dubai International Airport, disrupting the world’s busiest airfield for international travel. (AP Photo/Jon Gambrell)

Vehicles sit abandoned in floodwater covering a major road in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Wednesday, April 17, 2024. Heavy thunderstorms lashed the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, dumping over a year and a half’s worth of rain on the desert city-state of Dubai in the span of hours as it flooded out portions of major highways and its international airport. (AP Photo/Jon Gambrell)

An SUV drives through floodwater covering a road in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Wednesday, April 17, 2024. Heavy thunderstorms lashed the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, dumping over a year and a half’s worth of rain on the desert city-state of Dubai in the span of hours as it flooded out portions of major highways and its international airport. (AP Photo/Jon Gambrell)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The United Arab Emirates struggled Thursday to recover from the heaviest recorded rainfall ever to hit the desert nation , as its main airport worked to restore normal operations even as floodwater still covered portions of major highways and roads.

Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest for international travel , allowed global carriers on Thursday morning to again fly into Terminal 1 at the airfield.

“Flights continue to be delayed and disrupted, so we urge you to only come to Terminal 1 if you have a confirmed booking,” the airport said on the social platform X.

The long-haul carrier Emirates, whose operations had been struggling since the storm Tuesday, had stopped travelers flying out of the UAE from checking into their flights as they tried to move out connecting passengers. Pilots and flight crews had been struggling to reach the airport given the water on roadways. But on Thursday, they lifted that order to allow customers into the airport.

Others who arrived at the airport described hourslong waits to get their baggage, with some just giving up to head home or to whatever hotel would have them.

The UAE, a hereditarily ruled, autocratic nation on the Arabian Peninsula, typically sees little rainfall in its arid desert climate. However, a massive storm forecasters had been warning about for days blew through the country’s seven sheikhdoms.

By the end of Tuesday, more than 142 millimeters (5.59 inches) of rainfall had soaked Dubai over 24 hours. An average year sees 94.7 millimeters (3.73 inches) of rain at Dubai International Airport. Other areas of the country saw even more precipitation.

The UAE’s drainage systems quickly became overwhelmed, flooding out neighborhoods, business districts and even portions of the 12-lane Sheikh Zayed Road highway running through Dubai.

The state-run WAM news agency called the rain “a historic weather event” that surpassed “anything documented since the start of data collection in 1949.”

Two men walk through floodwater in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Wednesday, April 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Jon Gambrell)

In a message to the nation late Wednesday, Emirati leader Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the ruler of Abu Dhabi, said authorities would “quickly work on studying the condition of infrastructure throughout the UAE and to limit the damage caused.”

On Thursday, people waded through oil-slicked floodwater to reach cars earlier abandoned, checking to see if their engines still ran. Tanker trucks with vacuums began reaching some areas outside of Dubai’s downtown core for the first time as well. Schools remain closed until next week.

Authorities have offered no overall damage or injury information from the floods, which killed at least one person.

“Crises reveal the strength of countries and societies,” Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, wrote on X. “The natural climate crisis that we experienced showed the great care, awareness, cohesion and love for every corner of the country from all its citizens and residents.”

The flooding sparked speculation that the UAE’s aggressive campaign of cloud seeding — flying small planes through clouds dispersing chemicals aimed at getting rain to fall — may have contributed to the deluge. But experts said the storm systems that produced the rain were forecast well in advance and that cloud seeding alone would not have caused such flooding.

Jeff Masters, a meteorologist for Yale Climate Connections, said the flooding in Dubai was caused by an unusually strong low pressure system that drove many rounds of heavy thunderstorms.

Scientists also say climate change is responsible for more intense and more frequent extreme storms, droughts, floods and wildfires around the world. Dubai hosted the United Nations’ COP28 climate talks just last year.

Vehicles sit abandoned in floodwater covering a major road in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, April 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Jon Gambrell)

Abu Dhabi’s state-linked newspaper The National in an editorial Thursday described the heavy rains as a warning to countries in the wider Persian Gulf region to “climate-proof their futures.”

“The scale of this task is more daunting that it appears even at first glance, because such changes involve changing the urban environment of a region that for as long as it has been inhabited, has experienced little but heat and sand,” the newspaper said.