Climate Impacts Group

New paper provides framework for states to measure and improve community resilience in a changing climate

Researchers from the University of Washington’s Climate Impacts Group and the University of South Carolina’s Hazards Vulnerability and Resilience Institute (with support from co-authors at The Pew Charitable Trust, and the Western Fire and Forest Resilience Collaborative),  developed a new paper, State Strategies for Measuring Resilience: A Comparative Study of South Carolina and Washington’s Approaches.

UW Climate Impacts Group contributes to new WA State Climate Resiliency Strategy

Members of the University of Washington Climate Impacts Group have supported a newly released plan for state agencies to address the regional impacts of climate change, such as dwindling snowpack, rising seas, flooding and dangerous heat events like the 2021 Pacific Northwest “heat dome.”

Register Today for Water Year 2024 Recap & 2025 Outlook Meeting

The 19th annual Oregon-Washington Water Year Meeting: 2024 Recap and 2025 Outlook will be held as two virtual morning meetings. There is no cost to attend but you are required to register. 

The goal of this meeting is to share and gather information regarding climate impacts of the 2024 water year. The warmer than normal winter, lack of Washington snowpack and subsequent drought development, the changing drought conditions in Oregon, and the hot July will be topics of discussion. This meeting will also offer the opportunity to learn from others about mitigation actions that were taken through group discussion. Forecast experts will provide expectations for 2025, including discussion of what the switch to La Niña in the tropical Pacific means for the region.  

Climate Impacts Group, partners release fourth PNW Water Year Assessment

As drought persists across parts of Washington and the Pacific Northwest, a team of scientists have developed an annual assessment to help water managers and agricultural producers prepare for dry conditions and other weather extremes.

The fourth Pacific Northwest Water Year Impacts Assessment, released today, summarizes variations in temperature, precipitation and snowpack across Oregon, Washington and Idaho in 2023. Additionally, it details the impacts of these variations on key sectors such as agriculture and drinking water, and how sectors responded to these impacts. For the first time, a summary of the assessment is also available in Spanish.

The assessment is one product of a collaborative process between water managers and scientists at the Office of the Washington State Climatologist, the Climate Impacts Group, Oregon Climate Service, Idaho Department of Water Resources and NOAA’s National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS). 

Seattle just had the warmest week in January on record 

Seattle’s average temperature in the past week was 53.8 degrees. According to the National Weather Service, that was the warmest seven-day period between Jan. 1 and Feb. 1 on record since 1984. Resources from the Climate Impacts Group and the Office of the Washington State Climatologist are referenced. 

‘Labor of love’ motivates scrappy nordic ski club in North Cascades 

Salmon Ridge Sno-Park is the main trailhead to access some 14 miles of forest roads maintained by the Nooksack Nordic Ski Club for groomed skiing, plus many more miles of ungroomed backcountry trails. Founded in 1992 by a group of Whatcom County cross-country enthusiasts, the volunteer club has cultivated a small but mighty nordic community in an unforgiving setting that receives snow and rain in seemingly equal measure. A UW Climate Impacts Group report is mentioned.  

Climate Impacts Group participating in improv/science event

At the Climate Impacts Group, we’re always interested in creative and novel ways to communicate about climate change. So when we were invited to partner with an improv troupe, we said “yes, and!” 

Dr. Guillaume Mauger, lead scientist at the Climate Impacts Group, will be presenting on his work on climate adaptation and flooding for “Mad Science,” a theater event blending science and improv comedy. Hosted by Seattle Rep and Bandit Theatre on Friday, November 10, at 5 p.m., the event will feature two environmental scientists giving short “lightning” talks, followed by an improv show based off of their talks. 

We’re excited to see what comes out of this fruitful + funny partnership! 

Register Today for the Water Year 2023 Recap & 2024 Outlook Meeting

The 18th annual Oregon-Washington Water Year Meeting: 2023 Recap and 2024 Outlook will be held as two virtual morning meetings on Wednesday, November 1 and Thursday, November 2. There is no cost to attend but you are required to register. 

The goal of this meeting is to share and gather information regarding climate impacts of the 2023 water year. The extended summer of 2022 into fall, drought development across Washington and northwest Oregon, drought improvement over southeastern Oregon, and rapid spring snowmelt will be topics of discussion. This meeting will also offer the opportunity to learn from others about mitigation actions that were taken through group discussion. 

PBS: Washington Climate Crisis

As our summers become hotter and our skies fill with wildfire smoke, Western Washington seemingly gets deeper into a climate crisis. Dr. Nick Bond was part of a panel of UW climate experts discussing climate change. “In the Hot Seat: Saving Lives from Extreme Heat in Washington State” is also referenced.  

From Hawaii to Greece, the planet is broiling from wildfires. How much is climate change to blame?

Although many factors are behind the global series of wildfires, experts say climate change is the primary cause. Drs. Crystal Raymond and Nick Bond are quoted.