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  "path": "/2026/04/seattle-times-proves-deceptive-and.html",
  "publishedAt": "2026-04-01T19:36:00.000Z",
  "site": "https://cliffmass.blogspot.com",
  "textContent": "**Truth should be important to the Seattle Times.**\n\nProfessional integrity and honesty should be a priority.\n\nProviding the public with accurate information on an important public issue should be paramount.\n\n**But when it comes to issues dealing with climate, the Seattle Times has descended into advocacy, hype, and exaggeration, unsupported by facts and actual science.**\n\nArticles written by the Seattle Times Climate Lab, which receives financial support from climate advocacy groups, are the most concerning, as illustrated by the deceptive, unfactual article published yesterday.\n\nThe article, _How bad is Washington's summer drought going to get?_ , starts with a large picture of a major reservoir (Lake Keechelus)--see below\n\nThe picture shows a completely empty lake, and the legend describes a \"depleted Lake Keechelus\" and that this total lack of water is a \"familiar scene.\"\n\n\n\n\n**Totally deceptive and wrong**. The truth is that the lake is nearly full, as shown by an image total from a WSDOT cam:\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDon't believe your eyes? The official measurements of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation indicate the lake was **95% full** two days ago (it is now 96%):\n\n\n\n\n\n**Still not convinced?** Below is a plot of this year's lake level (blue line) versus normal (red line).\n\n\n\n\nLake levels are now WAY above normal....in fact, exceeding the normal maximum levels in early summer. So high, reservoir managers reduced the level a bit to avoid flooding.\n\n\n\n\n**So the headline claim of the article was wrong...and they had to know this.**\n\n\n\n\nI am hardly warming up regarding the ST tall tales. Much of the article is factually wrong.\n\n\n\n\nFor example, it tells us:\n\n\n\n\n\"**This summer is expected to be especially hot and dry, too, Mellor pointed out. El Niño conditions are moving in from the tropics.\"**\n\n\n\n\nThis is nonsensical. We are still in a La Niña (see below), and the transition to Neutral and then El Niño conditions will only occur during the summer.\n\n\n\n\nBlue colors indicate temperatures below normal\n\n\nEven more important, **Northwest summer precipitation has very little correlation with El Niño and La Niña** --even if it were in place.\n\n\n\n\nThis figure from the NOAA Climate Prediction Center, which shows the precipitation anomalies from normal for an El Niño summer, shows this clearly.\n\n\n\n\nDon't believe NOAA and only trust online AI? Here is what Gemini gave me:\n\n_Key Correlations & Current Trends_\n\n  *  _Weak Summer Link : Meteorologists note that El Niño does not have as significant an impact on the region in the spring and summer as it does in winter._\n\n\n\n**Lack of water for hydropower?**\n\n\n\n\nThen the article warns about the lack of water for Seattle hydropower, and particularly the Ross Reservoir. Turns out both rainfall and snowfall have been relatively healthy in the North Cascades this winter, and the reservoir level is now much higher than the previous year (see below). I note that the Ross Reservoir almost filled last year (see below).\n\n\n\n\nSeattle's power generation will have sufficient water!\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPerhaps the writer of the Seattle Times scare piece should have checked the best long-term forecasts.\n\n\n\n\nHere is the latest prediction of summer precipitation from the best (European Center). WETTER THAN NORMAL OVER WESTERN AND FAR EASTERN Washington. Normal for the rest.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe Seattle Times is failing our community, providing demonstrably false information regarding climate change. Hyping and exaggerating climate threats.\n\n\n\n\nProviding such wrong information is hurting our community, resulting in very poor decision-making, including the waste of billions of dollars (e.g., the CCA).\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n",
  "title": "Seattle Times Provides Deceptive and False Information on Washington State Drought",
  "updatedAt": "2026-04-01T19:56:15.142Z"
}