Weather: For the first time since February 2025, measured accumulating snow falls in Maple Leaf

Well, it’s here - the first snow of 2026, and already some are celebrating the “white stuff” by playing Christmas songs in cafes and businesses.

Previously suggested by local meteorologists, many in the region woke up to a small amount of accumulation on the ground and on their vehicles. Thankfully, as the day continues, temperatures are warming up, which will allow the ‘white stuff’ to melt and give way to rain.

Meanwhile, for those with kiddos at home, many are taking to their front yards, their backyards, and naturally to Maple Leaf Reservoir Park, to take advantage of the fresh accumulation.

Taking a moment, the following photo was recovered mid-morning near the Northern trail entrance off Reservoir Park.

As of this article, snow is coming down in clumps, with the predicted model claiming around an inch at best in accumulation. By 4pm today, the weather should warm up to around 39-degrees Fahrenheit. By tomorrow, temps will return to over 40 with a high of 51, with rain returning to the forecast Saturday thru Thursday next week.

Let us know in the comments how you celebrated the first snow in 2026. 

First Response: Shooting in the Greenwood/Licton Springs neighborhood leave man in critical condition

January 27th, 2026 - Greenwood - Licton Springs neighborhood

"Seattle police officers are investigating a shooting in North Seattle early this morning that left a 20-year-old man in critical condition.

At 12:45 a.m., patrol officers responded to reports of a shooting near the 1000 block of North 98th Street. There, they found a man suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Officers provided emergency medical treatment to the victim until the Seattle Fire Department (SFD) arrived and took over care.

SFD transported the man to Harborview Medical Center in critical condition. HMC staff are currently preparing the victim for surgery.

Police determined that multiple suspects shot the victim while he was sitting inside of his car near North 98th Street and Aurora Avenue North. The suspects fled the scene in a vehicle before officers arrived. The circumstances leading up to the shooting remain under investigation.

Anyone with information is asked to call the SPD Violent Crimes Tip Line at 206-233-5000. Anonymous tips are accepted,"

Source, SPD Blotter 

First Response: Officers arrest burglary suspect in the Greenwood/Licton Springs neighborhood

 January 15th - Greenwood - Licton Springs neighborhood

"At 0947 hours, officers responded to a residential burglary in the 8700 block of Aurora Av N. Officers developed probable cause for the suspect and determined he was barricaded inside his apartment. Officers requested HNT and obtained a warrant. The suspect was arrested without further incident a few hours later. "

Source, SPD Blotter 

Editor: What streets and geography define Maple Leaf?

 

I want to start with a simple question, one I think will explain my actions later on. 

Do you care about the weather in Bellingham, when you don't live there?

Now, I'm not asking "... are you going to Bellingham?" nor am I insinuating you don't have family in Bellingham. But, I'm asking if you care about the weather in Bellingham, when you don't live there? 

No? Ok.

Well, neither do we - unless we are visiting Bellingham. But, we do care about the weather where live. And, what the firetruck was doing, driving up the road. And, why was that Seattle PD vehicle driving so quickly? Or, what's with all the road construction. Yep, these are things that matter to me. And I'm sure these do too, along with other relevant subjects. 

But, what if that firetruck was just passing through, on its way to the Wedgewood neighborhood, or that SPD cruiser was racing to the Greenlake neighborhood, is it relevant to you? Maybe? Maybe not? Again, for us, that sort of information might be helpful, but mostly because of an inability to resist the urge to be curious. 

But, we started to think to ourselves, what defines a neighborhood or more to the point, what is the definition of Maple Leaf? 

Now, before you post your comments about sidewalks, green spaces, childcare, or hospitality that supports families, I'm asking a specific question. 

What is the definition of Maple Leaf by geographical boundaries? 

Some of you might say, it's as far north as Northgate Way and as far south as NE 75th Street. Or that it's nestled between I-5 and Lake City Way/522. Others might simply refer to the Maple Leaf Community Council's definition, according to the City of Seattle bylaws. Or, maybe you prefer the City of Seattle's definitions found in historical records or interactive maps. How about seeing what commercial websites like Yelp, Uber Eats, or Nextdoor think? 

As you can see, there are countless ways to define what Maple Leaf can be by boundaries, and per the City of Seattle, there really isn't a clear definition of boundaries. 

So, I thought to myself, why not come up with my definition, but one created by adjacent neighborhoods? And that's what I did. 

Full disclosure, we reached out to several nearby neighborhood community councils or associations to see what their bylaws are associated with boundaries. 

Some responded, while others haven't responded yet, but have the information on their respective organizational websites. 

TLDR; (too long didn't read, if you know you)

Maple Leaf, when taking into account other nearby neighborhood council/association bylaws, is composed of the following directions. 

1. From Banner Way NE, head north on I-5 until you get to exit 173. 
2. At the light, turn right heading south along 1st Avenue until you get to 103rd Street, turning left, following this until you get to 5th Avenue NE, turning right and heading north on 5th Avenue NE you'll eventually come to NE Northgate Way. 
3. Turning right and heading east on NE Northgate Way, drive until you come to Roosevelt Way NE, turning right to head south. 
4. Heading south along Roosevelt Way NE, keep driving until you come to NE 104th Street and turn left. 
5. Heading east, keep on NE 104th Street until you come up to 15th Avenue NE, before turning right and heading south again. 
6. A few blocks down, at NE 98th Street, turn left and head east until you come to Lake City Way NE, and turn right onto Lake City Way NE. 
7. Heading south by southwest, keep along Lake City Way NE until you arrive at fork, just past NE 78th Street, taking the right fork (the one that leads away from I-5) and continue until you come to NE 75th Street. 
8. Turning right onto NE 75th Street, heading west and northwest, keep going until you come to the corner of Banner Way NE and NE 80th Street. 

Congratulations, you've traveled the boundaries of the Maple Leaf Neighborhood. 

Now, these directions can really start anywhere, if you know all these streets, but these instructions are based on input from: 

• Licton Springs
• Meadowbrook
• Northgate
• Pinehurst
• Ravenna
• Roosevellt
• Victory Heights
• Wedgewood

In fact, we created a crude trace of the neighborhoods that surround the Maple Leaf neighborhood, coupled with the MLCC's bylaw definitions. 

Right about now, you're probably wondering why I went to the trouble of defining boundaries, when we are neighbors and should be a community. It's simple really, local relevancy. 

Remember when I asked if you cared about the weather in Bellingham? 

Neither do I. 

But, what I do care about is providing coverage and awareness of businesses that are literally within walking distance of me, because I live in the Maple Leaf neighborhood. I'm interested in what places of worship there are, or where can someone find daycare, a K-12, K-6, or middle school, or high school, for their kids. How about a breakdown of crimes in the area? How about someone's yard sale or when the next Ice Cream Social is. 

These are all examples of things that, mostly, you can walk to from your doorstep to the entrance, without having to get in your car. These are examples of your neighbors affected by crime. Which is why I wanted to establish boundaries related to what Maple Leaf means to me. 

Does that mean I'm not interested in nearby businesses in places like Wedgewood, Roosevelt, Ravenna, or Meadowbrook? Not a chance. But, I'll probably make them a lower priority over a walkable business like Cafe Javasti, Ace Hardware, or Kona Kitchen. 

And that's pretty much it.

Agree or disagree? 

Let MapleLeaf4Life know in the comments or contact us directly.

First Response: Seattle Police Department Chief Shon F. Barnes, Ph.D., responds after receiving reports of suspected I.C.E. activity.

January 8th, 2026 - Seattle, WA 

"On Jan. 7, the Seattle Police Department received a call from a concerned community member reporting that three unidentified men were approached and arrested by ICE agents.

Officers responded to the community call about a possible armed abduction in North Seattle. The officers on scene verified the individuals were there conducting federal law enforcement duties and documented the interaction after speaking with supervisors.

I want to emphasize what I have been sharing with concerned community members for months: The Seattle Police Department is here to keep people safe, regardless of anyone’s immigration status. The City of Seattle is a welcoming city and we abide by all State laws and regulations that prohibit the Seattle Police Department’s participation in immigration enforcement. We have no authority over federal agents, but we will document all incidents and protect the rights of all people in the city.

As your Chief of Police, I will keep my promise to communicate what we learn so you are aware and to prevent misinformation. We are here to serve and protect all the people of Seattle. If you or someone you know needs assistance, please reach out to the Seattle Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs. They have resources available online for your convenience. If you have a life safety emergency, please call 911.

-Shon F. Barnes Ph.D.

Chief of Police

Seattle Police Department"

-Source, SPD Blotter 

Editorial: Here goes the neighborhood

Well, here goes nothing, as they say

Welcome to yet another self-supported, locally minded news & information website, specifically focused on all things Maple Leaf. 

By Maple Leaf, we aren't sharing our thoughts on the heralded National Hockey League team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Nor are taking time to discuss the nearly 150 different species of maple leaves in the world. Before this statement goes too far, we are specifically focusing on the Seattle neighborhood called Maple Leaf.

 With that focus, we are pledging our support to provide you with helpful links, helpful news, weather, articles and stories, associated with the neighborhood many of you call home. 
But before we proceed, we need to clarify a few things. 

It's all in a name

No doubt, countless of you, who lived in the neighborhood for years or decades, recall the famous bumper sticker with the tagline - "Maple Leaf 4 Life". Affixed mostly to vehicle bumpers, among other things, the sticker with its black background, its baby stroller, and 'ol 'ball and chain' was iconic and represented the family-friendly attitude of the neighborhood. 

I know I took notice of it, when we first moved here in 2008. 

We even went so far as becoming regulars at where the bumper sticker was given life - Cloud City Coffee. Naturally, over the years, we have frequented other cafes, other restaurants, and other taverns. But we never forgot about that tagline. Hence why we chose in homage to name our website and our domain Maple Leaf 4 Life. 

Our commitment to hyper-local reporting and information means just that.

Now, depending on what your definition of boundary is, the Maple Leaf neighborhood can run as far eat at Lake City Way, as far west as I-5, as far south as 75th, and as far north as Northgate Way. But if you ask the City of Seattle, they will mostly shrug and tell you that there's no fixed boundaries for what defines Maple Leaf, or any other neighborhood, by its streets. In the coming weeks, through discussions with various neighborhood councils, we intend to come up with what we think is a guideline on where and what we report on.

Naturally, that doesn't mean we will ignore nearby businesses, people, and points of interest. It just means that, as a reader, you should expect to mostly find news and information centered on Maple Leaf. 

What we mean by news and information

For starters, look for a daily to weekly breakdown of reporting around topics that impact you, like weather, crime & public safety, local politics & government, traffic & transportation, education, and much more. Obviously, being a self-supported website means things will get missed, and that's where you come in. We want you to reach out and let us know what matters to you.

Got an event, a new opening, a pothole, or a complaint, let us know! Obviously there are some caveats, and I'm gong to get that stated right now.

We aren't promoting your 'happy hour'. 

Now, obviously, anytime a website comes along and asks for input or feedback, there will be the opportunistic type who sees an opportunity to advertise their discounted menus, discounted retail, and so on. This isn't news. This is advertising. Full stop. 

What we are interested in is your yard sales, your graduations, your free public events, and of course businesses, people, or news that you want to spotlight. 

And that's pretty much it for now.

So, watch this space, and hopefully we can be your local, neighborhood, news source for all things Maple Leaf.