12/19 : Haida ermine, border flooding, WA carbon market, Oly oyster pilot, pipeline tax, coal mining pollution, deer birth control, kestrels, democracy watch, week in review

 

Editor's note: I've been curating News and Weather for almost 20 years and co-founded Salish Current five years ago. Both are openly accessible without paywall, and I've done it as a voluntary community service and will continue to do it as long as I can. I'm asking you, as a reader, to support nonprofit local news and Salish Current which pays its editors and freelancers. Please do it before the end of the year and your donation is matched by our 2X NewsMatch Campaign. Thank you! Mike Sato.

Haida ermine [Wikipedia]

Haida ermine Mustela haidarum
The Haida ermine is a mustelid species endemic to a few islands off the Pacific Northwest of North America, namely Haida Gwaii in Canada and the southern Alexander Archipelago in Alaska. (Wikipedia)

Today's top story in Salish Current: Post Point to upgrade, seek further pollution controls

Cross-border flood reduction plan to aid B.C., American communities not expected for two years
A cross-border plan to reduce the impact of flooding in B.C. and Washington, where major rainfall hit again last week in the Fraser Valley, is not expected to be ready for “about” another two years, according to Washington State officials. That will be six years after a transboundary group tasked with finding solutions to reduce cross-border flooding was resurrected following devastating floods on both sides of the border in 2021. B.C. officials had no response on the timing of the completion of a cross-border plan. Gordon Hoekstra reports. (Vancouver Sun) 

WA carbon market revenue hits $4.3B as prices reach record 
Prices in Washington’s carbon market have continued to trend upward as the price of emission allowances reached an all-time high this month. The state held four auctions between September and December and raised just over $1.1 billion by selling over 16 million carbon emission allowances. The latest auctions bring the total amount raised by the program to over $4.3 billion. Amanda Zhou reports. (Seattle Times) 

Olympia oyster restoration bolstered with partnership
A regional partnership will put Olympia oysters at the center of science, restoration, hands-on learning and ocean stewardship. Starting early next year, Northwest Maritime (NWM) will host a small oyster rearing operation on its Port Townsend campus at 431 Water St. The operation, in its pilot year, will be a collaboration between NWM, the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe (JST) and Puget Sound Restoration Fund. Elijah Sussman reports. (Peninsula Daily News) 

BC Backpedals on Pipeline Assessment Reductions
Pipeline companies won’t be getting a massive property tax break for Christmas at the expense of some rural homeowners. At least not this year. Tyler Olsen reports. (The Tyee) 

B.C. government ‘lagging way behind’ on coal mine pollution research
In neighbouring Alberta, government scientists are producing peer-reviewed studies on the impacts of coal mining. Why isn’t B.C. Ainslie Cruickshank reports. (The Narwhal) 

Esquimalt won’t continue deer contraceptive program 
Esquimalt is shifting to a monitoring-only approach for deer management instead of continuing a contraceptive program for the animals that a recent study found reduced fawn births. The move will save the township about $75,000 annually. Andrew A. Duffy reports. (Times Colonist) 

American Kestrels put the Cherry on Top
The diminutive falcons keep pests and poop away from one of Michigan's prized crops. Benji Jones reports. (bioGraphic) 

Democracy Watch

• Trump administration moves to cut off transgender care for children (AP) 
• Trump’s handpicked board votes to rename Washington performing arts center the Trump-Kennedy Center (AP) 

Salish Sea News and Weather Week in Review 12/19/25: Evergreen tree, BC flood, Clean Water Act, AK oil gas plan, warmest fall, WA coal plant, BC forest protection, Trump's climate fight. 

Have you read the Salish Current? 
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Here's your weekend tug weather— 
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  302 PM PST Thu Dec 18 2025    
FRI  W wind 15 to 20 kt. Seas 5 to 7 ft. Wave Detail: SW 4 ft  at 8 seconds and W 7 ft at 11 seconds. Showers in the morning,  then rain in the afternoon.  
FRI NIGHT  SW wind 20 to 25 kt. Seas 5 to 7 ft. Wave Detail: SW  3 ft at 8 seconds and W 7 ft at 11 seconds. Rain.  
SAT  SW wind 20 to 25 kt, easing to 15 to 20 kt in the  afternoon. Seas 5 to 7 ft. Wave Detail: SW 2 ft at 8 seconds and  W 7 ft at 11 seconds. Showers in the morning, then rain in the  afternoon.  
SAT NIGHT  S wind 15 to 20 kt. Seas 4 to 6 ft. Wave Detail: S  3 ft at 4 seconds and W 6 ft at 10 seconds. Rain.  
SUN  SW wind 15 to 20 kt. Seas 4 to 6 ft. Wave Detail: S 4 ft  at 5 seconds and W 6 ft at 10 seconds. Rain.

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. It is included as a daily feature in the Salish Current newsletter. Click here to subscribe. Questions? Email msato(at)salish-current.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate



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12/18 Mountain goat, levees, Trump's climate, Arctic warming, democracy watch

 

Editor's note:  Take a minute to read Tom Banse's story in Salish Current, listed below. That's the kind of reporting that's done and made available without paywall when you donate to nonprofit local news and Salish Current. More than ever, local news in these troubled times is important. Please donate. [salish-current.org/donate] Thank you. Mike

Mountain goat [Cassia Carpenter]

Mountain goat Oreamnos americanus
The mountain goat occurs only in northwestern North America from Colorado to Alaska, and is the only genus and species of its kind in the world. Its closest relatives are the chamois of Europe and the goral and serow of Asia. Fewer than 3,000 mountain goats likely reside in Washington currently, the majority of those in the Cascade Mountains from the Canadian border south to around Mount Adams. (WDFW)

Today's top story in Salish Current: Cross currents create quandaries in cleaning ship exhaust

An emerging threat as WA flooding continues: saturated levees 
River waters ripped through a second levee in Western Washington on Tuesday, forcing more evacuations and emergency repairs as the deluge of rain continues. Since the arrival of back-to-back the atmospheric rivers, the region’s swollen rivers have saturated these earthen barriers, which are crucial defenses near populated areas that often keep the rising and surging waters at bay. Conrad Swanson report. (Seattle Times) 

Trump targets premier U.S. weather and climate research center
The Trump administration said it will be dismantling the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado, one of the world’s leading Earth science research institutions. Russell Vought, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, called the center “one of the largest sources of climate alarmism in the country” and said that the federal government would be “breaking up” the institution. Lisa FriedmanBrad Plumer and Jack Healy report. (NY Times) 

Arctic Warming Is Turning Alaska’s Rivers Red With Toxic Runoff
Record-setting temperatures and rainfall in the Arctic over the past year sped up the melting of permafrost and washed toxic minerals into more than 200 rivers across northern Alaska, threatening vital salmon runs, according to a report card issued by federal scientists. Eric Miller reports. (NY Times) 

Democracy Watch

• Trump’s push to make oil drilling cheap again squeezes some states more than others (Associated Press) 
• Trump Administration Aims to Strip More Foreign-Born Americans of Citizenship (NY Times) 
• Senators freeze Coast Guard admiral’s promotion over swastika, noose policy (Washington Post) 
• American Academy of Pediatrics loses HHS funding after criticizing RFK Jr. (Washington Post)

Have you read the Salish Current? 
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Here's your tug weather— 
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  248 PM PST Wed Dec 17 2025    
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON    
THU  SE wind 20 to 25 kt, becoming SW 25 to 30 kt. Seas 6 to 9  ft. Wave Detail: SE 5 ft at 6 seconds and W 9 ft at 11 seconds.  Rain.  
THU NIGHT  W wind 25 to 30 kt, easing to 15 to 20 kt after  midnight. Seas 7 to 10 ft, subsiding to 5 to 8 ft after midnight.  Wave Detail: S 3 ft at 8 seconds and W 10 ft at 11 seconds. Rain.

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. It is included as a daily feature in the Salish Current newsletter. Click here to subscribe. Questions? Email msato(at)salish-current.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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12/17 Ptarmigan, warmest fall, WA flooding, TransAlta coal plant, Indigenous Rights law, BC forest conservation, democracy watch

 Editor's note: There are many immediate needs facing our community, and I hope you can see your support of local news as a community good serving the health and well-being of our community. Please support local news and Salish Current. Thank you! Mike

 

White-tailed ptarmigan [Timo Mitzen]

White-tailed ptarmigan Lagopus leucura
White-tailed Ptarmigan are small, tubby grouse, snow-white in winter and twig-brown in summer. They’re famous for being virtually invisible when they stand still against the windswept rocks, low shrubs, and snowbanks of their high-mountain habitat. They nest above timberline in the alpine tundra of western mountains, and are the only birds in North America that spend their entire life cycle in these very high elevations. Their feathered feet and dense plumage enable them to walk on top of snow and even roost inside snowbanks. (All About Birds)

Today's top story in Salish Current: Behind closed doors, Part 2: Port of Bellingham and its contractors

Northwest just finished warmest fall on record, scientists report
Across the Northwest, a record warm fall and lack of snowpack going into the winter is putting more drought pressure on Oregon, Idaho, Washington and western Montana. Despite record rain in western Washington recently, and earlier this year in central and southern Oregon, the showers are filling up already overdrawn reservoirs in many areas. Alex Baumhardt reports. (Washington State Standard) 

WA flooding among the 'most devastating' natural disasters in state history
Gov. Bob Ferguson told Washingtonians to brace for a lengthy recovery, and announced $3.5 million in state assistance for short-term needs such as groceries and hotel stays. (KNKX) 

DOE orders WA coal plant to continue operating despite state ban 
The U.S. Department of Energy issued an emergency order Tuesday evening directing power generation company TransAlta to continue operating a coal plant in Centralia, despite a state law that requires utilities in Washington to stop using coal for power generation beginning next year. The state’s last coal plant was scheduled to close at the end of this year and Puget Sound Energy, which had bought coal-fired electricity from the plant, had agreed to convert the plant to burn natural gas. Amanda Zhou reports. (Seattle Times) 

‘Extremely offensive’: B.C. premier’s plans to change Indigenous Rights law met with frustration
If the Declaration Act was a milestone for reconciliation, how could Premier David Eby’s amendments change B.C.’s relationship with First Nations? Here’s what you need to know. Shannon Waters and Matt Simmons explain. (The Narwhale) 

Major conservation of B.C. forestry land totalling 45,000 hectares announced 
The Nature Conservancy of Canada says it has reached an agreement with the federal and British Columbia governments as well as other private and public sector partners to conserve 45,000 hectares, or 450 square kilometres, of timberland in the province. (Canadian Press) 

Democracy Watch

• Coast Guard enacts policy calling swastikas, nooses ‘potentially divisive’ (Washington Post) 
• Hegseth Declines to Show Lawmakers Boat Strike Video (NY Times) 
• Trump expands travel ban to 39 countries after shooting of Guard members (Washington Post) 

Have you read the Salish Current? 
Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Community supported, free from ads. Read the latest weekly newsletter here.

Here's your tug weather— 
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  449 PM PST Tue Dec 16 2025    
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING    
WED  W wind 25 to 35 kt. Seas 9 to 13 ft, subsiding to 7 to  10 ft in the afternoon. Wave Detail: W 13 ft at 11 seconds and SW  2 ft at 11 seconds. Showers in the morning, then rain in the  afternoon.  
WED NIGHT  S wind 20 to 25 kt. Seas 5 to 8 ft. Wave Detail: S  3 ft at 4 seconds and W 8 ft at 12 seconds. Rain.

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. It is included as a daily feature in the Salish Current newsletter. Click here to subscribe. Questions? Email msato(at)salish-current.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate



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12/16 Snowberry, Skagit dams, Abbotsford flooding, F-150 Lightning, democracy watch

 

Common Snowberry [Native Plants PNW]

Common Snowberry Symphoricarpos albus
Common Snowberry is found from southeast Alaska to southern California; all across the northern United States and the Canadian provinces. Snowberries are high in saponins, which are poorly absorbed by the body.  Although they are largely considered poisonous, (given names like ‘corpse berry’ or ‘snake’s berry’), some tribes ate them fresh or dried them for later consumption. (Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest)

Today's top story in Salish Current: Could Mount Baker be tapped for geothermal energy?

Army takeover of Skagit dams lowers flood waters
As the Skagit’s flood waters were building, the Army Corps took over Ross Dam, a 540-foot tall concrete dam owned by Seattle City Light, and Upper Baker Dam, a 300-foot high concrete dam, owned by Puget Sound Energy. As flows surged into the reservoir known as Ross Lake, engineers turned off Ross Dam spigot.The dam held back 99% of water flowing into the reservoir, according to Army Corps officials. (John Ryan reports. (KUOW) 

Feds defend response to flooding in B.C. after Abbotsford mayor slams inaction 
The federal minister responsible for handling natural disasters defended her government in the wake of criticism about how it has responded to flooding in B.C.'s Fraser Valley. At a news conference on Friday, Abbotsford Mayor Ross Siemens accused the federal government of inaction following the 2021 floods and failing to address mitigation needs and prevent a similar disaster. Nick Logan reports. (CBC) 

Ford pulls the plug on the F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck
Ford Motor Company has ceased production of the F-150 Lightning, its flagship full-size electric pickup, and will focus instead on hybrid vehicles and a future line of smaller, cheaper EVs. Battery plants once intended to supply Ford trucks will now be sending batteries to bolster the electric grid instead. Ford says the move is following customer demand, and reflecting the reality that the Lightning was a money-loser — and Ford, concluded, it always would be. Camila Domonoske reports. (NPR) 

Democracy Watch
Trump 'very strongly' considering loosening federal marijuana regulations (Washington State Standard) 
Pentagon plan calls for major power shifts within U.S. military (Washington Post) 

Have you read the Salish Current? 
Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Community supported, free from ads. Read the latest weekly newsletter here.

Here's your tug weather— 
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  520 PM PST Mon Dec 15 2025    
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING  
GALE WATCH IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY  MORNING    

TUE  SW wind 15 to 20 kt, becoming S 25 to 30 kt in the  afternoon. Seas 5 to 7 ft. Wave Detail: S 4 ft at 5 seconds and W  7 ft at 11 seconds. Rain.  
TUE NIGHT  W wind 30 to 40 kt with gusts up to 50 kt. Seas 7 to  10 ft, building to 10 to 14 ft after midnight. Wave Detail: SW  4 ft at 8 seconds and W 14 ft at 11 seconds. Showers in the  evening, then rain after midnight.

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. It is included as a daily feature in the Salish Current newsletter. Click here to subscribe. Questions? Email msato(at)salish-current.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate



Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told


12/15 White dapperling, flood aid, BC flooding, Clean Water Act, monarch butterflies, sea lion rescue, Arctic oil exploration, mercury, democracy watch

 

Editor's note: More rain and possible flooding in the works so keep safe and if you can, help out by volunteering or donating to the recovery efforts. It's hard to run a fundraising campaign during a disaster when the needs are immediate. Please meet that immediate need but make the longer term donation that funds the local news that brings the news to you. 2X NewsMatch Campaign. [salish-current.org/donate]  Thank you.

 

Leucoagaricus leucothites [Adolph Ceska]

 

Leucoagaricus leucothites
Known as white dapperling, ma'am on motorcycle, smooth parasol, woman-on-motorcycle, it is a widespread mushroom that occurs mostly in grassy areas, gardens, and other human-influenced habitats, but also occasionally in forests. (Burke Herbarium) 

Today's top story in Salish Current: Shearwaters visit Salish Sea in record numbers

Washington set to receive federal aid amid record flooding
President Donald Trump approved the state's request for help with recovery efforts on Friday, two days after it was submitted by Gov. Bob Ferguson. The approval means the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, will help the state pay for infrastructure repairs, evacuations and setting up shelters. Freddy Monares reports. (KNKX) 

B.C.’s failure to fund flood response ‘troublesome’ as atmospheric river strikes again  
Rising waters closed highways and forced evacuations, prompting fresh criticism that the province has been too slow to invest in flood defences despite repeated warnings since 2021. Ainslie Cruickshank reports. (The Narwhal) 

How a U.S. river swelled catastrophic floods in B.C. — and why little can be done to stop it happening again
Two years ago, what would soon become a historic atmospheric river made landfall in B.C. as nearly a month's worth of rain pounded down on the province in less than 48 hours. What ultimately put the prairie underwater wasn't just the rain falling from the sky, but floodwaters from the Nooksack River in Washington state. Michelle Ghoussoub reports. (CBC) 

Environmental groups say permitting bill passed by US House guts clean water protections
The U.S. House of Representatives voted Thursday to pass a bill that Republicans say would reform the Clean Water Act and cut through regulatory burdens. The Act would redefine “navigable waters” – a term key to defining the waters that are protected by the Clean Water Act – and exclude waste treatment systems, streams that flow only in direct response to precipitation, prior converted cropland, groundwater and other features decided on by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Cami Koons reports. (Washington State Standard) 

Trump administration delays decision on federal protections for monarch butterflies
President Donald Trump’s administration has delayed a decision on whether to extend federal protections to monarch butterflies indefinitely despite years of warnings from conservationists that populations are shrinking. But the Trump administration quietly listed the effort as a “long-term action” that will not come within the year after announcement of the listing in September. Todd Richmond reports. (Associated Press) 

Crews rescue entangled sea lion in Vancouver Island's Cowichan Bay
A female sea lion, later named Stl’eluqum by the Cowichan Tribes, was freed from a severe neck entanglement near Cowichan Bay off of Vancouver Island’s east coast after being first sighted on Nov.7. Claire Palmer reports. (CBC)  

Lawsuit challenges Trump administration approval for Arctic Alaska oil exploration plan
Environmental and Native organizations on Thursday sued the Trump administration to try to overturn last month’s approval of an expansive oil-exploration program on the North Slope.  Yereth Rosen reports. (Washington State Standard) 

Mercury Rising
When Alaska’s wolves began eating sea otters, it looked like a story of adaptation. Then they started getting sick. Gennaro Tomma reports. (bioGraphic) 

Democracy Watch
Government Can Withhold Funds From Planned Parenthood, Appeals Court Rules (NY Times) 

Have you read the Salish Current? 
Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Community supported, free from ads. Read the latest weekly newsletter here.

Here's your tug weather— West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  236 PM PST Sun Dec 14 2025    GALE WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH  MONDAY AFTERNOON    
MON  S wind 30 to 35 kt, veering to W 25 to 35 kt in the  afternoon. Seas 8 to 11 ft. Wave Detail: S 6 ft at 6 seconds and  W 11 ft at 12 seconds. Showers in the morning, then rain in the  afternoon.  
MON NIGHT  SW wind 20 to 25 kt, becoming S 15 to 20 kt after  midnight. Seas 5 to 8 ft. Wave Detail: S 3 ft at 5 seconds and W  8 ft at 12 seconds. Rain.

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. It is included as a daily feature in the Salish Current newsletter. Click here to subscribe. Questions? Email msato(at)salish-current.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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12/12 Red brotula, cetacean cooperation, WA floods, climate change, Fraser Valley flood, disaster relief, BC oil, closed beaches, democracy watch, week in review

 

Editor's note: This week's floods will recede and the real story of recovery will continue for weeks to come. Salish Sea News and Weather and Salish Current will be here to follow that story as we did four years ago. Please support our regional and local news efforts with a donation to our 2X NewsMatch Campaign [salish-current.org/donate] so we can continue our work. Thank you. Mike

 

Red brotula [D.W. Gotshall]

Red brotula Brosmophycis marginata 
Red brotula is a species of viviparous brotula found along the North American Pacific coast from Alaska to Baja California. This fish is often displayed in public aquariums. This species grows to a length of 46 centimetres (18 in) TL. The red brotula is the only known member of its genus. (Wikipedia)

Today's top story in Salish Current: Where words meet the natural world

Orcas and dolphins caught on video collaborating to hunt salmon
Pacific white-sided dolphins and Northern Resident killer whales were observed in a symbiotic relationship in hunting salmon with orcas listening to dolphin echolocation and dolphins feeding on salmon scraps. Lauren Vanderdeen reports. (CBC) 

Skagit River crests, but risk is not over as Western WA flooding continues
Nearly 10,000 Burlington residents were told to evacuate their homes early Friday as a slough from the Skagit River started flooding homes. Thousands of residents were ordered to evacuate their homes Wednesday and Thursday, including all of those in the Skagit Valley’s 100-year flood plain. Residents in some areas of Pierce, Whatcom, Snohomish and Lewis counties were also told to leave, and people hunkered down in shelters and hotels. The risk is not over. The Skagit River near Mount Vernon crested at a record-breaking 37.7 feet around 12:15 a.m. Friday, presenting the devastated valley with further danger. Snohomish River at Snohomish was still above record high level of flooding as of 5 a.m. Friday. (Seattle Times) 

How Western Washington’s ‘100-year’ floods are changing 
Flooding is a natural part of how rivers function, but climate change is going to make things worse, threatening communities along rivers and in floodplains. Climate change is playing a role for two main reasons: The snow line is creeping higher so more precipitation is falling as rain instead of snow. And warmer air moving over warming ocean water can hold more moisture than before. Amanda Zhou reports. (Seattle Times) 

New evacuation orders issued as flood warnings expanded in B.C.'s Fraser Valley
Much of the Fraser Valley remains under a flood warning on Thursday, but new warnings have been issued for Princeton and other areas along the upper Similkameen and Tulameen rivers and their tributaries. Chad Pawson and Nick Logan report. (CBC) 

Amid historic flooding, WA scores win over Trump administration on federal disaster funds 
While the Skagit Valley and other areas across Western Washington were being inundated with floodwaters, a federal judge ruled Thursday against the Trump administration’s efforts to shut down an emergency program to protect infrastructure against natural disasters. Lauren Girgis reports. (Seattle Times) 

How the Carney-Smith Pact Could Bring More Tankers to Burrard Inlet
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said that Premier David Eby had told her he agreed to a different proposal than a new pipeline to the northwest coast to expand oil shipments through B.C. That proposal would see a 40 per cent increase in the capacity of the existing Trans Mountain pipeline to B.C.’s Lower Mainland and an increase in tanker traffic in the Salish Sea. Andrew McLeod reports. (The Tyee) 

Beaches closed after heavy rain leads to wastewater overflow
The Capital Regional District said beaches in the affected areas will be closed until water-quality samples confirm the risk from the overflows has passed. Jeff Bell reports.(Times Colonist) 

Democracy Watch
Senate rejects extension of health care subsidies as costs are set to rise for millions of Americans (AP) 
US national park gift shops ordered to purge merchandise promoting DEI (AP) 
Trump’s ‘gold card’ program goes live, offering US visas starting at $1 million per person (AP) 

Salish Sea News Week in Review 12/12/25: Poinsettia Friday, Tacoma aroma, Carriger Solar, BC giant cedar, Trump's wind block, new orca calf, WA coal plant, climate migration. 

Have you read the Salish Current? 
Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Community supported, free from ads. Read the latest weekly newsletter here.

Here's your weekend tug weather— 
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  217 AM PST Fri Dec 12 2025    
TODAY  SE wind around 10 kt, veering to SW late this morning  and afternoon. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W 5 ft at 13 seconds.  Rain.  
TONIGHT  SW wind 10 to 15 kt, becoming S 5 to 10 kt after  midnight. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W 5 ft at 12 seconds. Rain  likely, mainly in the evening.  
SAT  SE wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W 5 ft at  14 seconds. A chance of rain in the morning, then rain likely in  the afternoon.  
SAT NIGHT  SE wind 10 to 15 kt, becoming S 20 to 25 kt after  midnight. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: SE 3 ft at 4 seconds and W  5 ft at 13 seconds. Rain.  
SUN  S wind 20 to 25 kt, easing to around 15 kt in the  afternoon. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: S 3 ft at 4 seconds and W  4 ft at 10 seconds. Rain.

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. It is included as a daily feature in the Salish Current newsletter. Click here to subscribe. Questions? Email msato(at)salish-current.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



savesalishsea@bluesky.social

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate



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12/11 Holly, rain and flood, climate migrants, democracy watch

 

Common Holly 

Holly Ilex aquifolium
Holly is a legacy crop in Washington, and has been grown for over 100 years. It is a valuable crop with a lot of cultural significance and practical uses, such as a hedgerow plant. Holly is a nuisance plant when it grows in unwanted places, such as Washington's forests, where it spreads throughout the understory, displacing native species. (WA Noxious Weed Control Board)

Today's top story in Salish Current: Vamos, schools partner to get underserved kids outdoors

Blend of unusual weather conditions brings trillions of gallons in persistent rain to the Northwest
Warm water and air and unusual weather conditions tracing back as far as tropical cyclone flooding in Indonesia helped supercharge stubborn atmospheric rivers that have drenched Washington state with almost 5 trillion gallons (19 trillion liters) of rain in the past seven days, threatening record flood levels. Seth Borenstein reports. (Associated Press) 

Flooding in parts of B.C.’s Fraser Valley leads to state of emergency, evacuation alerts — and old anxieties
Torrential rain expected to overwhelm Washington’s Nooksack River, but not as severely as in 2021. (CBC) 

Is the Pacific Northwest ready for a wave of climate migration?
Climate migration is difficult to study, and even harder to predict, because a complex constellation of factors guides the decision to pick up and move. But some experts, like Abrahm Lustgarten, say a historic population shift has already begun, and Western Washington should start preparing now to become a “climate haven.” Monica Nickelsburg reports. (KUOW) 

Democracy Watch

• Trump administration adds militarized zone in California along southern US border (AP) 
• Judge in Oregon Blocks Arrest of Protesters For Noise (NY Times) 
• Trump's face on national parks pass sparks lawsuit (SF Gate) 

Have you read the Salish Current? 
Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Community supported, free from ads. Read the latest weekly newsletter here.

Here's your tug weather— 
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  207 PM PST Wed Dec 10 2025    

THU  W wind 5 to 10 kt, easing to around 5 kt in the afternoon.  Seas 4 to 6 ft. Wave Detail: W 6 ft at 13 seconds. A chance of  rain in the morning, then rain in the afternoon.  
THU NIGHT  E wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 4 to 6 ft. Wave Detail: W  6 ft at 14 seconds. Rain.

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. It is included as a daily feature in the Salish Current newsletter. Click here to subscribe. Questions? Email msato(at)salish-current.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



savesalishsea@bluesky.social

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate



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