2/7 Snow, Pruitt & EPA, Antarctic ice shelf, tribes & Trump, Bremerton poop, Malheur verdict

What is Snow?
Snow is precipitation in the form of ice crystals. It originates in clouds when temperatures are below the freezing point (0 degrees Celsius, or 32 degrees Fahrenheit), when water vapor in the atmosphere condenses directly into ice without going through the liquid stage. Once an ice crystal has formed, it absorbs and freezes additional water vapor from the surrounding air, growing into a snow crystal or snow pellet-- snowflakes, grapple, sleet, hail-- which then falls to Earth. (National Snow & Ice Data Center)

More snow, cold temperatures ahead for week  Amy Bell reports. (CBC) And: Snowiest storm in 5 years leaves much of Puget Sound region blanketed in white  (KOMO)

Scott Pruitt Is Seen Cutting the E.P.A. With a Scalpel, Not a Cleaver
Scott Pruitt, President Trump’s pick to run the Environmental Protection Agency, is drawing up plans to move forward on the president’s campaign promise to “get rid of” the agency he hopes to head. He has a blueprint to repeal climate change rules, cut staffing levels, close regional offices and permanently weaken the agency’s regulatory authority. But Mr. Pruitt, a lawyer who made a career suing the E.P.A., is not likely to start with the kind of shock and awe that Mr. Trump has used to disorient Washington. Instead, he will use the legal tools at his disposal to pare back the agency’s reach and power, and trim its budget selectively. Coral Davenport reports. (NY Times) See also: Scores of EPA workers object to Trump's pick to lead agency  Carla Johnson and Michael Biesecker report. (Associated Press) And: Florida Republican Proposes Bill to Abolish the EPA  Eve Peyser reports. (Gizmodo)

A Crack in an Antarctic Ice Shelf Grew 17 Miles in the Last Two Months
A rapidly advancing crack in Antarctica’s fourth-largest ice shelf has scientists concerned that it is getting close to a full break. The rift has accelerated this year in an area already vulnerable to warming temperatures. Since December, the crack has grown by the length of about five football fields each day.  Jugal Patel reports. (NY Times)

5 ways tribes can fight back against Trump
"How does Indian Country survive the Donald Trump era?…. There are many ways for tribes to survive the Trump era. My main point is that we need to think differently. Usually a new presidential term starts with a president trying to bridge gaps and bring the country together. That’s not been the case from President Trump, so we should expect more of the same in the years ahead." Mark Trahant writes. (Crosscut)

Another sewage spill reported in Bremerton
The waters off Bremerton have been hit with a fourth sewage spill in less than three weeks. A 23,000-gallon mixture of sewage and stormwater spilled Monday morning from a Bremerton wastewater facility into the Port Washington Narrows…. The narrows was fouled three other times late last month. On Jan. 18, a High Avenue wastewater facility in Bremerton spilled nearly 4,500 gallons of sewage and stormwater. Tristan Baurick reports. (Kitsap Sun)

3 Oregon refuge defendants plead guilty to trespassing
Three of the final seven defendants charged in the Ammon Bundy-led takeover of a national wildlife refuge last year took plea deals Monday instead of heading to trial next week. Sean and Sandy Anderson, a couple from Riggins, Idaho, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Portland to misdemeanor trespassing in exchange for the dismissal of felony conspiracy and weapons charges. Also taking that step was Dylan Anderson of Provo, Utah, who is not related to the Idaho couple. U.S. District Court Judge Anna Brown sentenced the three to one year of probation each and required each one to pay $1,000 restitution to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Steven Dubois reports. (Associated Press)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-  245 AM PST TUE FEB 7 2017  

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON    
TODAY  E WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 4 FT  AT 13 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SNOW SHOWERS IN THE MORNING...THEN A  SLIGHT CHANCE OF SNOW SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON.  
TONIGHT  E WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 4 FT  AT 15 SECONDS.

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