We’re having driest October since the 1940s in Puget Sound area. Any rain in sight?
We’re only 10 days in, but so far October is proving to be the driest since the 1940s, according to the National Weather Service. No measurable precipitation has fallen in the Puget Sound region as of Monday. Along with that deficit of rain, daily high-temperature records have been falling across the region, according to Kayla Mazurkiewicz, a National Weather Service forecaster. On Friday, Seattle hit 77 degrees. The Bolt and two other fires in the Cascades are contributing to smoky skies in Western Washington. On Tuesday, the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency labeled Pierce County air as moderately unhealthy, particularly for people sensitive to air quality. It’s not going to get better anytime soon. Continue reading at The News Tribune. (Cheyenne Boone)
Extreme heat could make parts of Asia, Africa uninhabitable in decades
By the year 2100, extreme heat events will make parts of Asia and Africa uninhabitable for up to 600 million people, the United Nations and the Red Cross said Monday. Projected death rates from heat waves are “staggeringly high,” comparable to all cancers or all infectious diseases, according to a report released ahead of next month’s U.N. Climate Change Conference in Egypt by the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. The report adds to the growing number of studies that show climate change is exacerbating the magnitude and frequency of extreme weather events. Heat waves in the Western United States this year broke hundreds of records after days of triple-digit temperatures and weeks of dry weather. Continue reading at The Washington Post. (Akhtar Soomro)
‘We definitely want to be more pro-active’ as flood season nears. Here’s how that will work
Whatcom County will begin mobilizing earlier and providing more communication to the public when flooding is possible, emergency management officials said at a discussion of recent weather disasters. They’re setting a 72-hour action plan and promoting the WhatcomReady.org website with links to information about road closings, river gauge height, available shelter, and other disaster resources when severe weather is imminent. November 2021 saw a series of atmospheric rivers that dumped nearly three times the normal November rainfall on Whatcom County, causing upwards of $200 million in damage and killing one person. Hundreds of people are struggling to rebuild or relocate, and 40 to 60 people remain without permanent shelter, [John] Gargett said. Continue reading at The Bellingham Herald.
Associated Press
West Coast gray whale population continues to decline but scientists remain cautiously optimistic
Washington’s paid family leave program may hit a deficit by end of year
FAA issues warning about type of seaplane that crashed
Large rail union rejects deal, renewing strike possibility
6 wolves poisoned in northeast Washington, reward offered
Bainbridge Island Review
Medical hurting due to electronic records issues
Bellingham Herald
Wildfire smoke is causing unhealthy air in Whatcom. Here’s how long it will last
‘We definitely want to be more pro-active’ as flood season nears. Here’s how that will work
Bothell-Kenmore Reporter
Collective action needed to avoid worst impacts of climate change
Capital Press
Wolf advocates offer reward to nab poacher
Everett Herald
Smoky air to linger in Snohomish County, with no end in sight
International Examiner
Opinion: Hooverville then and now: Who is worthy of space?
Islands’ Weekly
State board awards nearly $76 million in grants to recover salmon
News Tribune
‘He was not under arrest.’ Family of man shot dead by officers in Puyallup files lawsuit
Tacoma street cars return to the rails Tuesday after 10-week absence
We’re having driest October since the 1940s in Puget Sound area. Any rain in sight?
Olympian
COVID-19 activity plateaus in Thurston County as bivalent boosters roll out
Peninsula Daily News
Jefferson County may keep emergency orders
Port Townsend Leader
State lawmakers visit Jefferson Healthcare (Tharinger, Chapman)
Puget Sound Business Journal
Report: Apartment developers have ‘voracious appetite’ for Seattle area
Seattle Times
Seattle weather: More warm days and a (short) break from smoke
WA’s stolen unemployment money trickling in 3 years later
Conservation concerns cancel Alaska’s Bering snow, king crab seasons
Skagit Valley Herald
Skagit County’s COVID-19 case rate shows slight increase
Spokesman Review
Gonzaga professor, member of Spokane Tribe named editor of new journal exploring Indigenous business issues
Tri-City Herald
Back from the brink. Once threatened pelicans are thriving on a WA island near Tri-Cities
Will gay pride and other flags be banned from class? 2 Tri-City boards consider restrictions
Public health officials have not reported this for months about COVID in the Tri-Cities
Walla Walla Union Bulletin
$1.8 million of opioid settlement coming to Walla Walla County, city. What now?
Washington Post
Ukraine war at a turning point with rapid escalation of conflict
Extreme heat could make parts of Asia, Africa uninhabitable in decades
Wenatchee World
Wenatchee air quality to improve a bit next week — and then worsen again
Broadcast
KING 5 TV (NBC)
$51,400 reward offered for information in fatal poisoning of 6 Gray wolves in Stevens County
Seattle housing market sees uptick in supply, length of time homes are available
KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Smoke continues to linger in the Puget Sound, when will the air begin to clear?
KNKX Public Radio
Washington’s fire season the mildest in a decade
KXLY (ABC)
Homeless operator notifies city of possible mishandling of funds
Q13 TV (FOX)
FBI raises flag on elder fraud after thousands of retirees are scammed out of $1.7 billion
Web
Crosscut
Divisive issues like Native disenrollment take careful reporting
Data gaps make relief payments to WA officials hard to trace (Mullet)
MyNorthwest
T Line restarts service as expansion continues on track
Bad air quality continues to hang over Puget Sound region
The Stranger
Hundreds Hold Hands Across 520 Bridge in Solidarity with Iranian Protesters
West Seattle Blog
FOLLOWUP: Last day for Des Moines passenger-ferry test; West Seattle residents voice noise concerns