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Amtrak’s Extra Train to Bellingham Leaves Seattle at 8:15 AM

Michael van Baker — Fri, 31 May 2013 16:13:16 +0000

Anticipating increased demand while the bridge is being repaired -- a temporary replacement may come sometime in June, while a better fix could take until September -- the state has talked Amtrak into adding a roundtrip train daily between Seattle and Bellingham.

Trying to Reason With Mudslide Season

Michael van Baker — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 19:26:07 +0000

BNSF Railway Spokesperson Gus Melonas has blamed the mudslide epidemic on "extremely rainy conditions" -- but, Mass says, not so fast with that "extremely": "If we go back 6 months, the region around Everett stands out more, reaching 130-150 percent of normal [precipitation]. Yes, a bit wet, but I suspect we could find other periods to equal it."

March Storms Bring Record Snowfall for Seattle Area Skiers

Michael van Baker — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 17:09:07 +0000

"Around here there is typically a 10 to 1 ratio of snow versus precipitation in the form of liquid water," says University of Washington meteorologist Cliff Mass, which explains why, when Seattle sidewalks are becoming impassable floodplains, Snoqualmie and Stevens passes are reporting over three feet of snowfall over the past three days. Crystal Mountain saw 46 inches. But wait, there's more. Much more.