All posts by David Obelcz

Weather

Colder weather is here, but snow is unlikely

Enjoy the rest of Saturday if you can because colder and wetter weather is coming, but not cold enough. After some areas experienced their first hard freeze of the winter season last night, Puget Sound is enjoying a perfectly sunny day today. All of that will come to an end tonight.

On Saturday night rain showers will move in turning into a light steady rain overnight. Sunday is wet, with small break midday for a few hours when another round of moisture moves through on Sunday night.

Sunday night into Monday morning moisture will linger and temperatures will drop to near freezing. Some wet snowflakes are possible in the morning, particularly on our highest area hills in the Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville area such as Finn, North Rose, Houghton Highlands, or out toward Duvall and the eastern edges of wine country. Anything that falls will likely not stick to the roads and will only be dusting.

The chance of snow for Wednesday we’ve been watching has disappeared, and Wednesday is looking like a dry day with some possible sunbreaks. There is nothing in the forecast model for the next ten days to indicate any chance of significant lowland snow, but late next week is looking wet and cold, with lows in the mid-30s and a lot of rain.

BIPOC, National

Keystone XL Pipeline construction terminated in victory for indigenous rights

Video

From Malcontentment Happy Hour, January 21, 2021

After a 10 year legal battle that went to the Supreme Court, Keystone XL Pipeline construction is blocked by Biden Administration

Keystone XL and the Dakota Access Pipeline have been a controversial topic since its inception. Protested by a coalition of indingenous peoples, government officials and residents in the Dakotas and Nebraska, the construction has been the subject of multiple legal challenges. In July 2020, the United States Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling blocking further construction on Keystone XL. On President Joe Biden’s first full day in office, he ended the project wth an executive order, reversing a Donald Trump executive order that restarted construction in 2017.

Weather

Narrow chance of lowland snow on Monday

When it comes to forecasting snow in the Puget Sound lowlands, you should never say “never.” For the coming days in the Seatle area, the odds of it snowing early next week are slim at best. Monday is a little bit interesting, but it doesn’t appear all of the elements to produce significant lowland snow will come together.

Friday and Saturday will be pleasant for January. Both days will be partly to mostly sunny with highs in the mid-40s, while the low on Friday night will drop into the mid-20s. For the Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville area, it may be our first hard freeze of the winter season. Saturday will be warmer as a wet system arrives on Sunday.

Sunday looks like a washout, with rain through the day. The rain turns to showers and tapers off through Monday, with temperatures dropping close to freezing on Monday night. If there is enough stray moisture in the air, there is a chance for some wet flakes as the system moves out. Another forecasting wildcard is if a convergence zone sets up on Monday. Some models support this and show a burst of snow similar to our event in December.

Next week looks unsettled, and we have our eye on Wednesday, the 27th, for possible morning snow. Right now, that is too far out to make an accurate forecast.

Local

Three arrested in downtown Seattle protests

Approximately 100 protesters wound their way through the downtown core of Seattle yesterday, breaking windows, spraypainting graffiti, and burning American flags. The group had a mixed message of anti-capitalism, anti-government, and protesting the Biden election. Seattle Police declared an unlawful assembly and arrested three.

Protesters gathered in Occidental Park in Pioneer Square before marching toward Seattle Center and then back through downtown. At one point, several people burned American flags in the street. Windows at the Nakamura Courthouse on 6th Avenue were broken, sparking federal agents to gear up and make an appearance. The agents did not take any action against the protesters. Protesters went through Pike Place Market and broke windows at an iconic Starbucks, which is frequently misidentified as the “first” Starbucks retail location.

[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”17″ gal_title=”Inauguration Day Protests”]

Three people were arrested through the night. In one arrest, the conduct of Seattle Police is being called into question. Witnesses reported the suspect was prone and compliant, with an SPD officer having their knee on the neck for over a minute. Officers threatened to use what appears to have been a Taser or stun gun, holding it next to the person’s face and energizing it.

Seattle and Portland, Oregon, both saw election-related unrest yesterday. In Portland, federal and city officers fired pepper balls, rubber bullets, and tear gas for almost an hour straight. Federal officers employed a controversial teargas “fogger” and used outdated munitions that emit heavy metals. Protesters in Oregon broke windows, including those at the Democratic headquarters.

Editorial, National

Joe Biden becomes President as “democracy prevails”

Video

Our inauguration coverage

Joe Biden becomes the 46th President of the United States

Our coverage of the Presidential inauguration from Washington D.C. including opening ceremonies, wreath-laying at Arlington National Cemetery, military escort to the White House and parts of the C-Span Parade Across America with Jon Stewart.

Local, Weather

Cooler weather is coming, but snow is unlikely

January in Seattle has started historically wet and over 9 degrees above average, but both trends are coming to an end. After 7.45 inches of rain fell and highs reaching up to 57 degrees in the first two weeks, the region settled into a partly to mostly cloudy pattern over the past weekend. Some AI-based weather apps are indicating snow for the end of the week, but it is unlikely.

Monday and Tuesday will be seasonable and partly cloudy, with temperatures in the high 40s during the day and mid-30s at night. The entire week is looking dry for January, with Thursday the most likely day for rain showers. Long-range models indicate a cooling trend at the end of the week, but still seasonable.

Although it is too far out to be accurate, weather models indicate temperatures will drop into the low and mid-40s over the coming weekend, and we’ll get some moisture. Daytime temperatures won’t support snowfall and there isn’t a lot of moisture or energy coming into the region. We’ll keep an eye on the forecast, but we wouldn’t worry about finding a snow shovel for now.

Breaking News, Health and Lifestyle, Local

SPD officer under OPA investigation for emergency room incident

Update: An earlier version of the story indicated the incident happened on January 16, 2021 – the incident was on January 15, 2021.

[SEATTLE] – (MN) A Seattle police officer identified as Eric Whitehead is under Office of Police Accountability (OPA) investigation over their refusal to wear a mask at an area Hospital on Friday, January 15, 2021. Officer Whitehead was at the hospital to get a statement from an assault victim and refused to wear a mask. According to a nurse in the emergency department, the officer “blatantly refused” to put a mask on despite COVID positive patients nearby and standing in a “high traffic” hallway.

On Sunday, the Seattle Police Blotter posted the following statement.

“It has been brought to our attention through social media that an officer was seen not wearing a mask. All our officers and civilian employees have previously been directed to follow CDC and City of Seattle mask guidelines for their safety and the safety of our community.”

“The behavior outlined in last night’s post is unacceptable and not what we expect of our Department members. We know the profound impacts that COVID has created for our community. We will hold our personnel accountable for actions that violate policy and the trust of the community we serve.”

“The department has been in contact with OPA since last night and the OPA is now investigating.”

The staff at the unnamed hospital gave the officer masks multiple times, that he repeatedly threw away despite ongoing PPE shortages. The nurse escalated to the Charge Nurse after the officer became belligerent, and was “condescending” with her. The Charge Nurse then notified the Nursing Supervisor, and the officer finally put on a mask.

The compliance was short-lived, with officer Whitehead stating that he would take the mask off when he went into the patient room, potentially exposing the victim of assault to COVID. Despite a larger police presence, the staff noted that no other officers interceded on the behalf of the hospital, to ask Whitehead to put on a mask.

Although no hospital was identified in the investigation, Harborview has come under fire from the rank and file of Seattle Police through the group Safe Seattle. On November 21, 2020, an anonymous source complained about the “vibe,” in a Facebook post. “It used to be friendly. Now it’s either like we are invisible and they can’t see us at all… or they will stare at us. We used to have conversations and joke around with HMC folks, but the vibe has changed. Jail staff have noticed it, too, when they have to do hospital watches. Sure, it’s not all the staff to be clear, but the vibe has definitely tensed up.”

In another post, anonymous Seattle police officers complained that free snacks were no longer available for them in the emergency department. After a COVID-19 outbreak in the medical center sickened 13 and killed at least one, hospital administration identified that lax mask policy in break rooms while eating food likely contributed to the infections. As a result, UWM banned all food, including single-serving packages from all areas of the hospital except the cafeteria for anyone who is not a patient.

Safe Seattle has come under fire for the veracity of their posts, including starting a false rumor that there was a murder including a severed head in one of the homeless encampments of Seattle in the fall of 2019. In that incident, a man died of natural causes and wasn’t found for months after his death. As part of natural decomposition, the head detached from the body within the tent. The body was not found in a homeless encampment, but a wooded spot in Beacon Hill.

In a post this evening, David Preston of Safe Seattle attacked the nurse and her complaint, calling her a “snitch.” Later he erroneously posted that the complainant had been identified and had shut down their social media accounts.

The first 17 days of 2021 have been brutal for the Seattle Police Department and its conduct. Two officers are suspended with pay under investigation for the potential role they may have played in the January 6 insurrection after pictures emerged with them in the Capitol. An officer was fired for using a racial pejorative and three more could face reprimand after the OPA concluded they used excessive force against protesters this past summer. SPOG president, Mike Solan, is facing calls for his resignation from the entire city council for tweets he made supporting conspiracy theories about the January 6 insurrection.

Five Facts, National

NRA files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection

Five Fast Facts

  • The National Rifle Association has been under investigation for financial malfeasance by diverting millions in donor money to senior leaders for lavish personal expenses
  • As early as 2018, the NRA indicated they were in financial trouble
  • By June 2020, the NRA had shed more than 200 employees
  • The NRA wants to incorporate in Texas as a non-profit, in part to avoid ongoing litigation in the state of New York
  • The NRA filed a lawsuit against New York state Attorney General Letitia James saying she has violated the NRA’s right to free speech and seeking to block her ongoing investigation

The National Rifle Association on Friday filed petitions with a U.S. bankruptcy court seeking protection from creditors by restructuring, the gun rights advocacy group announced.

The NRA filed the Chapter 11 petitions in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Dallas, it said in a news release.

Read more at Reuters

Local, National

Photographer Nate Gowdy reflects on Washington D.C. insurrection

When Nate Gowdy started his photographic journey in 2015, he couldn’t imagine where his documentation of the rise of President Donald Trump would end. With the exception of 1876, what is normally only a footnote in American history, the Congressional certification of Joe Biden as the winner of the 2020 election turned into a blood-splattered reverse coup. Gowdy and his battered Leica camera were there.

January 6, 2021, Washington D.C. Insurrection – Copyright 2021 – Nate Gowdy

“I went to Washington D.C. because I’m working on a long-term project documenting the Presidential politics in the age of Trump,” Gowdy said. “I’ve covered more than 300 events across 23 states and this is the conclusion, the final narrative for my book.“

Gowdy arrived at 9:30 AM to document the events of Trump’s “Save America” rally and the planned protests. As Gowdy was heading to document Trump’s speech, he saw something that caught his eye. “There was a contingent of Proud Boys militiamen I caught walking toward the Capitol in the A.M. when the National Mall was empty and barren because everyone was at Trump’s morning address.“

“I came across them on my way there marching in the opposite direction. Basically, they marched to a crowd of no one, chanting, “fuck Antifa.” I was there and maybe another photographer. They were threatening me and I said I was media for Rolling Stone. Plenty of them seemed to assume I was ‘Antifa.” I was kind of in the middle of their crowd and they were getting really hostile. So I started keeping my distance and they marched to the Capitol.“

With thousands of protesters marching the two miles toward the Capitol, Gowdy witnessed the advanced groups of Proud Boys preparing to attack the barricades. He witnessed advanced planning, coordination, and people carrying ladders, and other items meant to storm the Capitol.

[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”15″ gal_title=”Capitol Insurrection by Nate Gowdy”]

As the main assault started Gowdy saw human wave attacks against overwhelmed lines of police officers. “When you get into the epicenter of the Inaugural Stage there is a five-foot wall and a lot of barriers before the wall. What they would do is lean the barriers up against the wall and use [them] as a ladder.“

“While they were getting pepper sprayed, those people would fall back and recover while a new wave of people would push in. They were just kind of, ‘Come on! Come on! Come on, we need you to do this! Keep up and hold the line!” [They] were pushing in and they were successful.“

A man screams “Come on,” to insurrections assaulting police lines in human wave attacks on January 6, 2021, during the Capitol Insurrection. Copyright 2021 – Nate Gowdy

As the situation plunged into full-scale insurrection, Gowdy kept shooting pictures until 8:30 PM, when he finally called it a day.

“I’m still processing what I saw. I mean the U.S. Capitol being overwhelmed by an anti-democracy protest of a mob of people who were egged on by their ring leader, President Trump.”

Gowdy is returning to Washington D.C. for Joe Biden’s inauguration to complete his work on his book. You can see more of his work shortly in Rolling Stone magazine.

interview with photographer nate gowdy, talking about his experiences on January 6, 2021, during the capitol insurrection

Local, Weather

Region cleans up after windstorm rages through the night

The Puget Sound region woke up to hundreds of thousands without power after a windstorm tore through the area overnight. An atmospheric river pointed a firehose right at the heart of Puget Sound as pounding rain and howling winds battered the region. Peak wind gusts reached 40 to 70 MPH around midnight, sending trees crashing through homes and across highways. 

In the last 72 hours, 3.03 inches of rain has fallen at Seatac Airport, and since January 1, 7.45 inches of rain has fallen, making this the wettest start to January in history. A USPS truck was almost blown off the Deception Pass Bridge, and images showed it perched on the guardrail, partially dangling over the side. The driver was uninjured and was able to exit the vehicle. A large tree fell across all of the southbound lanes of SH-167 outside of Puyallup, closing the highway. Both the Deception Pass Bridge and SH-167 have reopened. 

A number of areas schools canceled class for the day due to widespread power and Internet outages making remote learning impossible. In Kirkland, fire and police were dispatched to a rollover accident at 100th NE and Juanita-Woodinville NE. Inoperable traffic lights may have been a contributing factor to the wreck. 

Further south in Dodson, Oregon, about 60 miles east of Portland, one person is missing after the vehicle they were in was swept away in a mudslide. Officials are searching for the victim but active mudslides are making it difficult

A much drier weather pattern lies ahead, with sun forecasted for Wednesday and Thursday. Over the weekend, light and scattered showers will return. The long-range forecast points to next week being much calmer.