10/30 Hallowe'en weather, coal cut, safe train delay, WA carbon tax

Night crows (Carl Cook/BirdNote)

The Crows' Night Roost
Have you noticed groups of crows flying overhead in the late afternoon, wheeling and diving? These are American Crows with a purpose. They're headed to their night roost, a giant slumber party. Up to 40,000 crows in one space is not uncommon for a winter-time roost. Gathering at dusk, crows land in a tree, then scuffle and squawk, filtering down through the branches. (BirdNote) See also: Angry owl dive bombs pedestrians at Seattle park  (KOMO)

Ominous weather headed to PNW for Halloween weekend
The region's first fall storm is expected to blow through the Pacific Northwest just in time for Halloween. Washington State University's AgWeatherNet says a storm front will park over Washington, Oregon and Idaho by Saturday morning. Forecasts indicate sustained winds of 20 to 30 mph will ravage much of Washington, with gusts in the mountains possibly topping 50 mph, AgWeatherNet says. Showers and drizzle will also blanket the region. Eastern Washington's rain deposit is likely to be more intermittent, but the precipitation will be more steady in Western Washington. Two waves of heavier rain are expected to hit this weekend: Once Friday morning and again Friday night, continuing into Saturday morning. The chance of precipitation is 95 percent Saturday morning, but will go down to 55 percent in the evening, according to the National Weather Service. The National Weather Service has issued a flood warning throughout the Puget Sound region for this weekend. Lynsi Burton reports. (SeattlePI.Com)

Fewer coal trains expected in Whatcom after Cloud Peak cuts
Montana’s largest coal producer expects to reduce shipments to Asia next year through a West Coast port, which should reduce coal-train traffic through Bellingham and other Whatcom County cities. Exports of the fuel from the United States continue to slide and coal producers face mounting pressure because of new pollution regulations and cheap natural gas. Cloud Peak Energy Inc. announced Wednesday, Oct. 28, that it had renegotiated its long-term agreement to ship coal through British Columbia’s Westshore Terminals. The Gillette, Wyoming-based company said production volumes at its Spring Creek Mine near Decker, Montana, would be reduced accordingly. Matthew Brown and Ralph Schwartz report. (Associated Press/Bellingham Herald)

Congress Delays Train Safety Technology Mandate 3 To 5 Years
Railroads across America will get at least another three years to make important safety improvements that could help prevent another deadly train derailment… Congress passed a bill to extend the December 31 deadline they gave the railroad industry. Railroads insisted they weren’t going to be able to meet those deadlines, forcing them to either stop service or break the law. Derek Valcourt reports. (CBS)

Washington Initiative To Create Carbon Tax Turns In Signatures
Supporters of a citizens’ initiative to create a new tax on carbon emissions in Washington state have delivered most of the petition signatures they need to put their issue before the legislature -- and then on the 2016 ballot. A line of climate change activists each carrying a box of petitions marched into the Washington Secretary of State's office Thursday with nearly 250,000 signatures. Tom Banse reports. (NW News Network)

Now, your tug weather--
 WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT FRI OCT 30 2015
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON
TODAY
SW WIND 15 TO 25 KT...BECOMING W 10 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 9 FT AT 11 SECONDS. RAIN.
TONIGHT
W WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING S 5 TO 15 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 9 FT AT 10 SECONDS. RAIN.
SAT
S WIND 15 TO 25 KT...BECOMING SW 5 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT...SUBSIDING TO 1 TO 2 FT IN THE AFTERNOON. W SWELL 9 FT AT 12 SECONDS. RAIN.
SAT NIGHT
SW WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 10 FT AT 11 SECONDS...BUILDING TO 12 FT AT 11 SECONDS AFTER
 MIDNIGHT.
SUN
SW WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 13 FT AT 13 SECONDS.

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