Western Washington

A portion of the Electron Dam on the Puyallup River has to be removed, according to a decision from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The federal appeals court upheld the decision by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington that a vertical metal wall portion of the dam, a temporary spillway, makes the dam a complete barrier to fish passage and must be removed.

Lurking within the deep, blue waters that lap along the Washington state coastline and into the Puget Sound, algal blooms burst in colorful explosions when the sun shines across the surface, giving these aquatic plants life. But these brightly colored blooms sometimes pack a dangerous punch.

In late autumn on the cusp of cool winter days, snow comes early to Washington when thousands of aloft avians, snow geese, land here in a flurry of white feathers.“We call it a snow storm, they just will move as one,” said birder Julie Hagen. “It's just this chaotic whirlwind of birds, they move like a cloud and then they just lift up in the air.”

Residents on Blue Canyon Road near Lake Whatcom have been issued a Level 2 evacuation warning as crews fight a roughly 30-acre fire that likely started due to lighting Monday evening.

In South Tacoma, there is about 150 acres of land sitting vacant where dry grasses and trees cover an area that, in part, once served as a rail-yard for Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway.

With a stack of fresh newspapers in hand, Ken Stern is making one of his first stops of the day at La Conner's local office supply and business center.

Just in time for the Fourth of July holiday, the west side of Washington is going to see some sunny, hot weather. The daytime highs of 80- and 90- plus degrees being predicted might still seem abnormal to those who call the Puget Sound basin home, but those temperatures are on trend with the hotter summers climatologists have been tracking.Historically, Western Washington would get one or two days of 90-plus degrees in the summer. But, now, that’s happening about twice as often, said Nick Bond, the Washington state climatologist and a research scientist with the University of Washington.

For Jami Pitman, her child’s elementary school changed their lives.Eight years ago, when she enrolled her child in Bellingham Public Schools, they were homeless. Pitman said she sought housing support from the Opportunity Council, an organization that provides a variety of wraparound services. Opportunity Council is part of the county’s coordinated entry system. The organization assists folks as housing that lines up with needs becomes available, officials at the Opportunity Council said.

We’re nearing the end of October, but crews across Washington state continue to battle fires.

Heat waves are becoming more common in Western Washington. It's just one outcome of worsening climate change. With this, efforts to green-up urban areas may help keep people cool and safe.