Climate Impacts Group

Ready Or Not: UW Scientist Says Assumptions About Climate Could Impact Local Infrastructure

Amy Snover was interviewed on Rhode Island Public Radio about climate impacts, infrastructure and the need to prepare for the future in a climate-smart way. 

Understanding Recent Warming in Washington State

Wondering about the new analysis that finds average temperatures in Washington have warmed more slowly than any other state in the country? Want to know why? Kim Malcolm of KUOW talked with CIG’s Joe Casola and the Seattle Times interviewed Washington State Climatologist, Nick Bond, to learn more about the role of the Pacific Ocean and why timescales matter when considering climate trends. Listen to and read their insights here:

CIG’s Deputy Director, Joe Casola, on KUOW.
WA State Climatologist, Nick Bond, in the Seattle Times.

“Bond said he’s not surprised to hear that Washington’s climate hasn’t warmed quite as much as other states in the past 3o years. 

Snover Shares Climate Resilience Message at Science Immersion Workshop

Amy Snover, Director of the Climate Impact Group, recently joined the Metcalf Institute’s 2018 Science Immersion Workshop in Rhode Island. As an invited expert, Amy interacted shared CIG’s message about climate resilience with journalists from around the world. Melissa Ross, host and producer of WJCT‘s First Coast Connect in Jacksonville, FL reports on her experience and what she learned, including one of CIG’s central messages: “We must challenge deeply held assumptions about the stability of the global climate that are embedded in our laws and institutions.” 

Upcoming Actionable Science Webinar: Introduction to Collaborative Research Methods (May 1st)

The Northwest Climate Science Center’s next Actionable Climate Science Skills-building Webinar is Tuesday, May 1st at 11:00 AM (PT)! Don’t miss the chance to register for “An Introduction to Collaborative Research Methods” with Alison Meadow from the University of Arizona. Space is limited!

Seattle Thinks It Knows Rain. Climate Change Begs to Differ.

This article, featuring CIG science and comment from Research Scientist Guillaume Mauger, considers climate change, extreme weather, and if Seattle’s infrastructure is ready.

This article was also published in the Pacific Standard. 

CIG Science at Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference 2018

Attending the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference April 4-6th, 2018? Be sure to check out the range of CIG science being shared at this gathering. CIG researchers will cover topics including sea-level rise in Washington, culverts and climate change, flood-plain management, changing stream temperatures, mapping and more!

Here is a complete list of presentations, posters and snapshot talks that include researchers from the Climate Impacts Group:

Oral Presentations

Sea level rise guidance for nearshore habitat restoration in Puget Sound

Harriet Morgan, Nicole Faghin, Jay Krienitz, Tish Conway-Cranos

4 April 2018 • 10:45 – 11:00 AM

Sea level rise guidance for Assessing harmful algal bloom risk in Puget Sound: a coupled modeling-data analysis approach

Dana Woodruff, Taiping Wang, Stephanie Moore, Zhaoqing Yang, Ning Sun, Jerry Borchert, Audrey Coyne, Guillaume Mauger, Valerie Cullinan

4 April 2018 • 1:30 – 1:45 PM

Space matters: incorporating mechanistically determined spatial patterns into projected impacts of climate change on stream temperature

Se-Yeun Lee, Aimee H. 

New CIG Report: Nooksack Indian Tribe Natural Resources Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment

CIG researchers Harriet Morgan and Meade Krosby recently completed an natural resources vulnerability assessment for the Nooksack Indian Tribe. Working collaboratively with the Tribe’s Natural Resource staff, CIG evaluated the climate change vulnerability of priority species and habitats for the Tribe. Information provided in this assessment offers a rigorous foundation for future climate adaptation efforts aimed at addressing climate risks to the Nooksack Tribe’s priority species and habitats. You can read more about the project here, download the assessment and explore a range of species-specific factsheets.

New Publication on the Influence of Climate Change on Stream Temperatures Across the Northwest

A team of researchers from NOAA, UW, USGS and USDA published new research using high-resolution remotely-sensed water temperature data to characterize the distribution of summer water temperature in over 7,000 miles of rivers and streams across the Pacific Northwest and northern California. This research helps to identify the potential influences of climate change on the availability of cold-water habitat for species like salmon. CIG’s Se-Yeun Lee is a collaborator on this project, which was funded by the North Pacific Landscape Conservation Cooperative. 

Wetter, Drier and Hotter. What’s in store for Methow Waters?

Amy Snover, Director of the Climate Impacts Group, will give a free public lecture on Tuesday, November 21st, 2017 for the Methow Watershed Council.  Amy will discuss what we know, and how, about what’s in store for Methow waters in the face of a changing climate. The presentation is the second in a series of talks by subject matter experts hosted by the Methow Watershed Council this fall/winter as part of its ongoing public education and outreach efforts.

What: Free public presentation – “Wetter, drier and hotter. What’s in store for Methow waters?”

When: Tuesday, November 21st, 6-8 p.m (PDT).

Where: Methow Valley Community Center

Questions?: Please contact Sali Kilmer for further information, or visit MethowWatershed.com

CIG Science Helps La Conner Officials Prepare for Future Flooding

CIG’s Guillaume Mauger, along with the a group of Skagit Climate Science Consortium scientists, recently teamed up with La Conner officials to identify ways that the town can plan and prepare for future flood risks. The Skagit Climate Science Consortium will provide the planning commission with a range of climate and hydrologic information that will help La Conner to draft their comprehensive plan.