The Renton, Kent and Issaquah school districts have all shut down schools for Tuesday because of snow and bitter cold that have turned roads icy. All three districts serve students in the Renton area.

Renton Technical College is closed for the day.

Metro Transit has canceled about 14 bus routes Tuesday morning because of travel conditions, mostly in Seattle. Some buses were stranded on streets Tuesday morning.

King County Metro Transit will operate with buses on snow routes and some service cancellations on Tuesday morning, and is urging people to stay home and off the roads if at all possible. Road conditions are dangerously icy, and abandoned vehicles still block roadways.

Bus riders should check the Metro Transit website for the most current status of Metro service before traveling on Tuesday. Updates to the online information will begin at 4 a.m.

Metro is urging bus riders to make preparations for winter travel. Know the snow routing for your bus route and check the timetables for snow route maps for each route. Not every bus route has snow routing, but most do.

When buses are on snow routing, some streets and bus stops may be missed and there are often delays due to travel conditions. There is new snow routing in many areas that is different from past years, so be sure to check the snow routes for all the routes you use most often.

If you haven’t already, sign up for Transit Alerts to keep up with any major changes to bus service. The alerts can be received as email or text messages.

Metro will be using a new online color-coded map to keep riders informed of the status of its bus service. All bus routes are assigned into one or more of seven geographic areas within King County.

When there is snow or ice on the roads, the service status of each area will be color coded and displayed on an online snow map. Green indicates buses are operating on normal routes; yellow that some – but not all – routes in the area are on snow routes (primarily in higher elevation areas); and red tells you that all bus routes in the entire geographic area are on snow routing.

People without online access can call the Customer Information Office at (206) 553-3000. General information about service will also be sent out via the kcmetrobus Twitter account.

Here are some other snow tips for Metro customers:

• Be patient. Buses are not always on schedule in snowy or icy conditions. And, increased ridership during bad weather can result in crowded buses and a longer-than-usual wait on the phone for the Customer Information Office;

• Dress warmly for the walk to the bus stop, expect delays, and wear appropriate footwear for the weather;

• Head for bus stops on main arterials or at major transfer points such as park-and-ride lots, transit centers, or shopping centers; and

• Riders should wait at bus stops at the very top or very bottom of hills, because buses are often unable to stop for passengers on inclines.