Showing posts with label weather. Show all posts
Showing posts with label weather. Show all posts

AG Ferguson, Rep. Mena bill protecting Washingtonians from utility shut-offs during extreme heat signed into law

Sunday, April 23, 2023

AG Ferguson, Rep. Joe Nguyen, Rep Sharlett Mena stand with Gov. Inslee as he signs their bill
Photo courtesy AG Office

OLYMPIA — Gov. Jay Inslee signed into law a bill Attorney General Bob Ferguson partnered on with Rep. Sharlett Mena, D-Tacoma, to ensure a utility operator cannot shut off Washingtonians’ power or water when the National Weather Service issues a heat-related warning or alert.

The bill, House Bill 1329, does not relieve Washingtonians of their obligation to pay their utility bills. It protects human health and safety by preventing electricity shutoffs for failure to pay during extreme heat. It does not prohibit utilities from shutting off power to prevent or mitigate damage from forest fires.

It passed the Senate on April 10, 2023 with a 29-20 vote. The House passed the bill with a bipartisan 64-31 vote in late February.

Sen. Joe Nguyen, D-White Center, sponsored a companion bill in the senate.

“This will provide a tangible, important, life-saving benefit to Washingtonians,” Ferguson said.

“Extreme heat is risky for seniors, people with disabilities, folks who work outside, and anyone who can’t afford their utility bill;” Rep. Mena said. “Power and water can be a matter of life and death during a heat wave. This legislation will ensure that every Washingtonian has the ability to protect themselves against extreme heat.”

The bill places a moratorium on utility shutoffs for inability to pay during a Weather Service heat-related warning or alert. The legislation protects all Washingtonians’ access to electric fans, working refrigerators and running water during extreme heat, as well as air conditioning for residents with access.

More information here



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WeatherWatcher: Hailstorm, cold and wet weather continues

Wednesday, April 12, 2023

 

Storm rolling in from the Puget Sound 4/11/2023
Photo by Lee Lageschulte


Tuesday afternoon turned wild when a large thunderstorm cell developed on the eastern slopes of the Olympic mountains and moved east, clipping Shoreline with its southern tail. The storm was producing lightning every 15-30 seconds and heavy downpours with hail before it crossed the Puget Sound and weakened. 

Doppler radar at about 2pm April 11, 2023

Brief accumulations of hail occurred from Shoreline through Everett causing traffic slowdowns, especially in the north end of the storm. The storm lasted about 30 minutes, as it quickly moved east. Temperatures dropped around 10-12°F within that 30-minute period as well. 

In Everett temperatures plummeted from 46°F down to 33°F with snow mixing in as the storm passed. Shoreline saw a similar temperature drop, from 50°F down to 37°F, also reports of snow mixing in as the storm moved east.

April 2023 rainfall at the North Ridge station

Rainfall this month is trending far above normal now, making up for the slightly below normal March. Temperatures, as seen below, are still trending below average. I expect temperatures to remain below average for most of April and early May.

April 2023 high and low temperatures compared to average at the North Ridge station

Forecast: Wednesday morning could see some showers; some may be mixed with wet snow. Once we get past the morning showers skies should clear up to a sunny afternoon. High temperatures Wednesday afternoon should reach near 50°F. Wednesday night is expected to be mostly clear, lows in the 30's with the potential for frost in places.

Showers return Thursday morning through Thursday evening, with Friday drying out with partly cloudy skies. More steady rain returns Saturday and continues through the weekend and into next Tuesday.


For current weather conditions visit www.shorelineweather.com


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Collisions due to rain and ice on I-5 at NE 205th block all lanes of freeway

Tuesday, April 4, 2023


At 1am on Tuesday, April 4, 2023 rain and ice on I-5 at SR 104 (NE 205th) caused so many collisions that all lanes, northbound and southbound were blocked.

Emergency crews were on scene and travelers were advised to seek alternate routes or except delays.

45 minutes later, the southbound lanes were opened but northbound were still blocked.

All lanes were open by 2am.


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WeatherWatcher: Unsettled Weather and March in review

Photo by Tim Davis

This late winter and early spring have been a classic La Niña weather pattern. We've been dominated by a northwest flow from the arctic out through the Gulf of Alaska into the region. This is creating a situation where air in the atmosphere or aloft is much colder than the air at the surface. 

The cold air above is producing the perfect conditions to bring us very unstable air, with heavy short lived rain showers, hail showers and rain/snow mix showers. Some of these showers are strong enough to produce a lightning strike and occasional rumble of thunder.

Rainfall compared to average at the Northridge Weather Station in March 2023.

Despite all the intermittent heavy rain showers we are below average on rainfall, which has been the trend most of the winter. This is somewhat unusual for La Niña, but sometimes we get too far on the cold side of the jet stream and that can limit the amount of moisture our area gets.

High and Low Temperatures compared to average at the Northridge Weather Station in March 2023.

Temperatures have for most of March trended below normal, except for a couple of rare mild days in the second half of the month. Also, not unusual for a few days to be warmer than normal to balance out a March. The average temperature for March at the Northridge station has been 44.9°F over the past 12 years. This year's average was 43.7°F so a little over 1 degree cooler than normal.

Forecast: Unsettled cooler than normal weather is expected to continue into Wednesday evening before we transition back to more seasonable temperatures. Don't expect sunny warm days soon though, more weather systems will be moving through bringing us a more winter typical steady rain event Thursday morning lasting through Friday night. Temperatures will come up to the lower 50's though with lows in the 40's.

Over the weekend we transition from rain to showers, with high temperatures climbing up into the lower 60's on Sunday. The chance of rain continues however well into the middle of next week.

Long Range Forecast: When will we start to see real spring weather? Longer range hints towards our first 70°F sunny day to be sometime out in May. April looks cooler than normal in general with more unsettled weather likely at least several times over the next 3-4 weeks.


For current weather conditions visit www.shorelineweather.com



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Not again! Brief hail storm hits area

Monday, April 3, 2023

Hailstorm as far north as Everett
Photo by Carl Dinse

By Diane Hettrick

This is the third time this season that the immediate area has been hit with a dramatic hail storm. Around 2:30pm on Sunday there was beautiful sunshine in my front yard in Shoreline. The backyard was a little darker. The sky that I could see through the trees was layered.

Light and white clouds were just below one of those leaden gray-blue skies that mean the air is full of snow or heavy moisture. I heard what sounded like thunder.

A few minutes later we were getting pounded with hail. The hailstones were hitting my deck so hard they were bouncing three feet in the air.

And then it was over.


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WeatherWatcher: Active Convergence zone may bring slushy short-lived snowfall Saturday morning

Saturday, March 25, 2023

Radar image at 11:57 PM PDT March 24, 2023.

An active Puget Sound Convergence zone is in place centered right over Shoreline and Lake Forest Park, with an east/west spread. Radar as of 11:58pm Friday night is indicating some showers are heavy enough that they are turning over to snow in localized spots. In the above radar image, green is rain, pinks are rain/snow mix, and blue is snow.

Accumulations are not expected, but if we do get accumulation, it will likely be light, confined to grassy and other cold surfaces, and very short lived. Mostly we should just expect to see snowflakes falling with rain mixed in at times or just plain rain. If there is a full changeover to snow and it does start accumulating, it will be short lived. Daytime temperatures Saturday morning should easily rise above freezing and melt anything off as soon as precipitation ends.

There is also a slight chance of a thunderstorm with this convergence zone possible overnight into Saturday morning. Colder than normal weather continues through the weekend and next week. Another chance of snow mixing with rain is possible Sunday morning as well.

There is a break in the weather expected for Monday through Wednesday evening. Sunny skies and colder than normal temperatures. Highs in the 50's with lows in the mid to upper 30's. Chance of rain showers returns next Thursday.


For current weather conditions visit www.shorelineweather.com



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Lake Forest Park startled with a hail storm on Monday afternoon

Wednesday, March 22, 2023

Photo by Gordon Snyder
Lake Forest Park was startled with a dramatic hail storm mid-afternoon on Monday, the First Day of Spring.

WeatherWatcher Carl Dinse explains:

It’s that time of year when the sun is strong enough to heat up the surface significantly, while the atmosphere is still very cold. 
This generates moderate convection strong enough to support heavy showers with hail, and sometimes lightning. 
This typically happens after a storm front moves through the area, such as what happened Monday mid-morning.

The photo is from the last time this happened, on March 3rd of this year.



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Warm weather brought people to the beach

Sunday, March 19, 2023

 
Edmonds Beach photo by Lee Lageschulte

The rest of the U.S. may be under storm watches, California residents are wading through flood water, but it was summer here. 

60 degrees and hundreds of people flocked to the Edmonds beach. Several were swimming in the water.

Lee and Roger Lageschulte
Spring officially begins on Monday, March 20, 2023 but when you live in the Northwest you never trust the weather to continue. We could just as easily have a snow storm tomorrow.

So get outside if you can and enjoy every ray of sun and every bit of warmth.

--Diane Hettrick



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Ecology: Can we expect another drought? Washington’s water supply outlook

Saturday, March 18, 2023


It’s the time of year when people start wondering whether we can expect a drought in the near future. After multiple droughts over the last several years the question “will there be water” is likely on a lot of people’s minds. For most of the state, we’re cautiously optimistic. A few areas may see some challenges.

Snowpack

You’ll often hear a lot of talk about snowpack, or the lack thereof, when discussing water supply. Many watersheds in Washington, such as the Wenatchee and Methow River Basins, depend heavily on snowpack from the Cascade Mountains. 

During the spring and summer months, melting snow runs off into streams. A weak snowpack in the winter can result in low streamflows in the spring and summer. Even a healthy snowpack can dry up quickly if the spring and summer are unseasonably warm.

Right now, statewide, snowpack is slightly above 100 percent of normal, with runoff statewide forecasted to be just shy of average. Some basins are a little higher or lower than average. Lurking beneath the snowpack are soil-moisture deficits resulting from a dry spring and summer. Soil-moisture conditions are causing runoff forecasts to be revised downward in some basins, especially in the Okanogan and Methow basins.

--Department of Ecology



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Rainbow

Friday, March 3, 2023

 
Photo by Lee Lageschulte

So while you are waiting for the Edmonds ferry, you can check the beach under the dock to look for the pot of gold, because the leprechauns appear to have arrived a couple of weeks early.

--Diane Hettrick



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WeatherWatcher: The next snow opportunity is becoming clear in the forecast

Sunday, February 26, 2023

 

As seen in the above animated loop, our next potential for snow is developing and got quite organized today. The new storm developing came across Alaska and down the west coast out of the Arctic. It is expected by forecast models to be cold enough to bring precipitation in the form of snow for most areas, especially in elevations above 300 feet.

Timing: Monday will be much like today, partly to mostly cloudy with showers through the area. The bulk of this next storm is expected to move inland late Monday afternoon and evening. Most of the accumulating snowfall is once again expected overnight into Tuesday morning. I wouldn't be surprised if we start seeing increasing rain or snow showers earlier in the afternoon Monday given the speed at which this storm is currently moving.

What to expect: Most models are now suggesting somewhere between 2-6 inches of snow could fall through most of the Puget Sound region. Temperatures are once again marginal around the freezing mark so snow accumulations will be very dependent on your elevation and proximity to warming effects from bodies of water. Rain may be mixed in at times and will be very hyperlocal depending on where the rain/snow mix lines are.

We will treat Sunday morning's snow as an indicator of who will see the most snow Tuesday morning. Those who saw snow Sunday morning should expect to see anywhere between 2 to 6 inches of snow Tuesday morning. Daytime warming is expected so it'll be a slushy mess after the sun has been up for a few hours.

We should see a bit of a break Wednesday with some sunny skies. Another storm starts to work its way in Wednesday night through Thursday and that has more potential to make another round of accumulating snow. For now, we'll just take this one storm at a time and when models come to agreement for the second half of the week, I'll write another update.

Longer range: A cold, wet pattern is expected to continue for the next 10-15 days. It is a typical La Niña weather pattern, but particularly locked in with less variability than normal. The jet stream is flowing from the northwest as a result, pulling the storm track up through Siberia and Alaska and back down the west coast. 

For current weather conditions visit www.shorelineweather.com


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WeatherWatcher: Winter Weather Advisory in effect, snowy period for the week ahead

Saturday, February 25, 2023

Shoreline Park December 3, 2022.
Photo by Carl Dinse


Saturday evening a snowstorm will be moving into the area. The National Weather Service in Seattle has issued a Winter Weather advisory, in effect from 6pm Saturday evening until 10am Sunday morning. The advisory forecasts 1-2 inches of snow, but this is a general forecast for all of the area including Seattle, Tacoma and Bellevue.

Significant snowfall will start to increase at around 9pm Saturday evening in the Shoreline and Lake Forest Park areas. Steady and moderate snowfall is expected until around 4am Sunday morning. 

Temperatures are expected to be near the freezing mark so the snow may be the heavy, wet variety much like what we saw at the end of last November.

Current forecasts are calling for 1-4 inches of snow; locally there is a slight chance of pockets of heavier accumulation. A convergence zone is expected, which might change the amount of additional snowfall significantly and unpredictably and Shoreline is right in the middle of that zone.

Important to note, places near the water, low in elevation will likely see less snow accumulation and possibly no snow accumulation. Lower areas of Lake Forest Park, especially around the Town Center will also likely see less snow or no snow accumulation. Anything above the 250-foot level in elevation should see some accumulation out of this event. Again, this will be not unlike the November snow event where places along the water saw little to no snow accumulation.

Snow showers are possible through Sunday evening and Monday as well, but nothing too significant in those showers is anticipated. We have another snow-maker coming in Monday evening into Tuesday that could bring more widespread snow accumulations. 

Colder air is expected to stay with us through the end of next week with several storm systems threatening precipitation with a mix of rain or snow depending on your proximity to the water.

Bottom Line: Be prepared to deal with winter weather, especially if you're traveling from sea level locations to higher areas near I-5. This winter weather has potential to last through all next week. The warm sun should help clear the roads during daytime periods but freezing is likely in the overnight hours.


For current weather conditions visit www.shorelineweather.com

Corrected: 4am Sunday

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Graupel storm pounds the area Tuesday afternoon

Wednesday, February 22, 2023

Photo by Jo Simmons

A dramatic and noisy graupel storm pounded the area mid-afternoon on Tuesday. Graupel are tiny, perfect ice balls. Even after they fall, they keep their shape.

Hail is a lot easier to say - but this isn't hail. Here's the wikipedia article: graupel

The photo was taken of Jo's pretty front yard and street.

Correction: original story misidentified the location.


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Backyard Birds: Bald eagles don't care

Tuesday, February 21, 2023

 
Photo by Jan Hansen

This bald eagle, flying over west Shoreline, not only didn't care about 35-50mph winds on Monday, he seemed to be reveling in it.



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WeatherWatcher: Surprise windstorm, cold air and a slight change of snow this week

 

Snow Dusting in Shoreline, WA
Photo by Carl Dinse

A significant windstorm moved into the region Monday afternoon and evening. The National Weather Service in Seattle was forecasting a breezy to windy evening, but nothing more than 40mph. They had a wind advisory in effect from 6pm Monday evening to 6am Tuesday morning. Around 2:30pm that tone changed, and the wind advisory became in effect immediately.

Wind-whipped water on the Salish Sea as the storm moved in
around Jefferson Head. Photo by Jan Hansen

The storm's first peak occurred at about 4:30-4:45pm Monday afternoon. Wind gusts in most areas reached 35mph but some exposed areas in Shoreline saw gusts up to 55mph. Paine Field in Everett (which is our closest airport weather station) recorded a peak gust of 52mph at about the same time. At the height of the storm close to 5,700 Seattle city light customers were without power, with the majority of them in the Hillwood and Richmond Beach neighborhoods.

The wind advisory remains in effect until 6am Tuesday morning, but most of the wind activity has already died down. A westerly surge of winds 45-60mph is still possible but is not expected to make it as far south as Shoreline and Lake Forest Park. 

Return of cold, with a slight chance of snow: Tuesday is a transition day with some showers and breezy winds expected. In the afternoon or evening hours the winds should change direction from southwest to north-northeast. When this direction change happens, cold air will start spilling into the region. Low temperatures Tuesday night into Wednesday are expected to drop into the 20's and any left-over showers will fall as snow. 

Accumulations Wednesday morning are expected to be minimal, from nothing at all to possibly a trace to an inch at most. Temperatures Wednesday will break the freezing mark and make it up to the upper 30's, with clearing skies. The sun should help clear the streets of any snow that does accumulate.

Wednesday night through Friday afternoon we are expecting clear skies, with temperatures struggling to get above freezing. Lows are expected to be near 20°F. Our next storms start to move in Friday evening and through the weekend. Cold air is expected to continue flowing into the region when these storms arrive so most of the precipitation could be in the form of snow.

We'll have to keep an eye on the forecast through mid-week to see how things develop for the coming weekend. Right now, it looks like this cold arctic-like weather pattern could continue through the first week of March. 

Bottom line: little chance of snow for now. This weekend, however could be a different story. Cold is certain, and expect freezing temperatures to be likely from Tuesday night on forward for a week or two.



For current weather conditions visit www.shorelineweather.com


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WeatherWatcher: Snow in the forecast but no advisories in effect for Shoreline or Lake Forest Park

Monday, February 13, 2023

Slight chance of a trace of snow
Photo by Martin De Grazia
Areas of snow showers are possible tonight, but Shoreline and Lake Forest Park remain outside of the winter weather advisories currently in effect. 

No accumulations are expected, but there is a slight chance of a trace to an inch overnight. Any accumulations that do occur will quickly melt off in the daylight. 

Puget Sound Convergence zone is active but south of Seattle and in the Everett area and north. 

Models suggest little to no precipitation in the areas around North King and South Snohomish County lowlands.

Currently the National Weather Service (NWS) has no watches, warnings or advisories in effect for Shoreline or Lake Forest Park.


For current weather conditions visit www.shorelineweather.com



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Continuing Education: Climate; a Puget Sound Perspective

Thursday, January 19, 2023

Here in the Puget Sound region, we are on the western edge of a continent with a massive ocean to our west and two significant mountain ranges nearby. 

We have many unique weather and climate features that are created by the seasons. 

In this class we will explore weather and climate by starting with the global picture, then we will focus on some of the most important details of our local environment.
 
2/1 - 2/22 | 2:00 – 4:00 pm | Wednesday (4) | Fee: $69 | Linda Khandro | Location: 1500 Building, Room 1522 , Shoreline CC Campus, 16101 Greenwood Ave N, Shoreline WA 98133

Register here



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WeatherWatcher: Atmospheric Rivers -- we have one right now

Wednesday, January 11, 2023

 
UW WRF-GFS 4km 72 hour rainfall forecast ending at Saturday 4pm

An atmospheric river has arrived, one in a series of many that have been coming in off the Pacific ocean and mainly impacting California and Southern Oregon. There's a lot of hype implied with this type of weather system, but they are in fact very common and very normal in West Coast winters.

In the 1990's the term "Pineapple Express" was typically used to describe an atmospheric river. They are basically a plume of subtropical or tropical moisture that is pulled in by a low pressure or trough in the northeast Pacific and directed into the west coast by the jet stream

Probably at least half of our rain events through the fall, winter, and spring seasons are the result of an atmospheric river to some degree. Some atmospheric rivers bring a half inch of rain, others can bring 2-3 inches of rain during a 2-5-day single event. Some have lasted over 7 days, bringing continuous moderate rainfall to the area at the rate of a half inch to one inch per day.

The mountains often get much heavier rain in most rain events. Atmospheric rivers can cause river flooding in the lowlands due to the typically higher snow levels often associated with them. The big snowstorm we had December 26-30, 1996, ended in a long-lived atmospheric river that started as snowfall. 

Several snowstorms that week brought up to about 20 inches of accumulated snow on the ground. I recorded a low temperature of 10°F one morning that week with an analogue thermometer under the trees in the front yard. Then the atmospheric river hit bringing another 4 inches of snow. We had a total of 24 inches of accumulated snow, before that event changed everything over to rain. 

Then it warmed up to the mid 50's with several inches of rain falling over the course of the next several days. All the snow was melted within a 24-hour period. Weight of the rain-soaked snow caused a lot of roof collapses in the area.

Forecast:

For our current atmospheric river, I consider it a moderate one. It's expected to last about 3 days. During the 72-hour period ending at 4pm Saturday we are expected to get around 1.5 to 1.75 inches of rain. This is enough to get standing water in places and maybe some minor urban flooding where storm drains are blocked with debris.

Starting Wednesday evening, as of this writing, rain is expected to pick up if it hasn't already. Rain is expected to be steady and moderate through Sunday afternoon. Temperatures will range in the mid 50's for highs and lower to mid 40's for lows.

We get a bit of a break from the rain Sunday evening through Tuesday with only a chance of rain showers during that period. Temperatures cool down a bit with highs ranging in the mid to upper 40's and lows near 40°F. Tuesday night more rain is expected to return and last through Wednesday.

Longer range shows a drier pattern setting up for the last week of January. This could be a good time to get some yard work clean up done. Current model ideas show potential for colder air first week of February. That's too far off to say what might happen but it's a pattern that suggests potential for more wintery weather.


For current weather conditions visit www.shorelineweather.com



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WeatherWatcher: Wind Advisory issued for Tuesday

Monday, December 26, 2022

 
Wind storm aftermath in Shoreline August 2015
Photo by Carl Dinse
The National Weather Service in Seattle has issued a wind advisory for the greater Puget Sound region, including the Shoreline and Lake Forest Park areas. The wind advisory is in effect from 7am on Tuesday until 1am Wednesday morning. Wind gusts of 50mph are possible, with a slight chance of wind gusts exceeding 60mph.

Winds are expected to peak in the area at around 4pm or 5pm Tuesday evening. In general, strong winds are expected to last 6-8 hours on Tuesday compared to Monday morning's short burst. More power outages are expected with this storm, especially with the moist soil conditions. 

Another round of heavy rain is preceding this wind event adding around another 3/4 of an inch of rain to the already saturated ground. There is also a Flood Watch in effect until Wednesday afternoon. Significant amounts of rain with snow melt have added an increased risk of landslides in the area.

A cloudy, rainy, and mild weather pattern is expected to continue into the New Year. There is some potential for another windstorm to arrive sometime around Friday. I will write another weather article when details become clearer on that storm system.

Monday morning, we had a short burst of winds with a strong cold front that moved through around 7am. Winds at SeaTac airport gusted to 55mph, while at Paine Field in Everett winds gusted to 49mph.

We recorded a gust of 31mph at the Shoreline Weather Richmond Beach station. Another personal station near the Puget Sound in Shoreline on Weather Underground recorded a gust of 52mph.


For current weather conditions visit www.shorelineweather.com



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When life gives you an ice rink in the street..

Saturday, December 24, 2022

Seth Walton holds 'broom' at the ready
Photo by David Walton
Well, when life deals you lemons or ice, make lemonade or an ice rink - and do some curling! A little makeshift curling - in the street in Lake Forest Park!! 

Matthew Walton sweeps the ice while Seth makes the throw
Photo by David Walton
Thanks to the ice that covered everything and shut down most things.

--David Walton


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