Seattle's Snowy Surprise: Storms, Tech Boom, and TikTok Fears

Good morning, this is Seattle Local Pulse for February 25, 2025. We're starting with the weather, which has been quite eventful lately. A winter storm covered parts of Seattle in a blanket of snow just a couple of days ago, causing a messy morning commute, shuttering schools, and knocking out power to thousands. The National Weather Service reported over 2 inches of snow within the metro region, with higher totals of up to 4 inches in areas like Monroe and Mukilteo. Today, we're expecting heavy rains and gusty winds to peak tonight, with a Gale Warning in effect along the coast. Moving on to local news, a statue of Hiroshima bombing survivor Sadako Sasaki has been stolen from Peace Park in Seattle's University District. This statue has stood for decades and its theft is deeply concerning to the community. In other news, the tech job market in Seattle is booming, focusing on AI, cloud computing, and cybersecurity roles. AI engineering roles are seeing a 60% increase, with salaries reaching $190,000. Data science jobs have a 48% growth rate, and cybersecurity roles are up by 42%. Entry-level developer salaries start at $85,000, despite the 42% higher living cost in Seattle. On the topic of education, Raisbeck Aviation High School students are competing for a behind-the-scenes tour of Sea-Tac Airport, facing the same bureaucratic hurdles that Port of Seattle employees face. In sports, while there aren't any major updates today, we're looking forward to the Seattle Kraken's upcoming games. And speaking of the Kraken, a young fan was spotted practicing her hockey stick work in the snow, making the most of the rare snow day. In community news, a local resident is highlighting the importance of TikTok for Washington's tourism industry. Sheyla Cerda, a Seattle resident, has been using TikTok to promote local attractions and is worried about the economic impact of a potential TikTok ban. She encourages lawmakers to reconsider their position and help stop the ban. Finally, in crime news, a recent incident in Spokane County Superior Court has sparked a conversation about harassment. The Rev. Gen Heywood is urging people to stop using the term "prank" to minimize harmful actions, emphasizing that such behavior is not funny and can cause significant harm. This has been Seattle Local Pulse. We'll see you tomorrow with more local updates. This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.