Climate Impacts Group

WA’s drought deepens and the summer forecast offers no respite

Yes, this is summer and it’s supposed to be hot and dry. But this year we’re much drier than normal and, fresh off major droughts in 2024 and 2023, the effects of these lingering dry spells is compounding. Deputy State Climatologist Karin Bumbaco said, “The driest part of our year is just getting started.” Please reach out to CIG directly if you are unable to access the article.

Leavenworth artist’s climate-themed triptych featured at Smithsonian exhibit

For Earth Day, the Smithsonian featured Leavenworth-borth artist Claire Sianna Seaman’s Imagining a Climate Resilient Future in the Pacific Northwest. The triptych was commissioned by the Climate Impacts Group to celebrate our 25th anniversary in 2020-2021.  

Drought declaration covers much of Western Washington — but not Gig Harbor

Water levels remain normal across the Kitsap Peninsula even as many other parts of Western Washington experience droughts after a dry spring. Communities on the Kitsap Peninsula remain largely unaffected by these fluctuations.  Unlike many of its neighbors, the peninsula gets its water almost exclusively through precipitation and groundwater aquifers. Deputy State Climatologist Karin Bumbaco is quoted. 

Drought emergency declared for Methow Valley

The Methow Valley is in a drought emergency for the third year in a row. And this year, the drought emergency arrived early because of an especially warm and dry spring. Although much of eastern Washington is already dry this year — typical for the region — the most severe conditions are centered around the Cascades. Deputy State Climatologist Karin Bumbaco is quoted. 

Why knowing your neighbors can be an important climate solution

While much in the path of Hurricane Helene suffered lasting damage and destruction, North Carolina’s Earthaven Ecovillage showed remarkable resilience. The community had backup power and water systems, as well as food supplies, but members also knew how to work together in a crisis. Earthaven Ecovillage’s ability to respond to Hurricane Helene is an example of how social cohesion helps protect communities against climate hazards. Climate Resilience Scientist Rishi Sugla is quoted.  

Drought emergency hits Pierce County, much of Western Washington

The emergency declaration includes a large part of the Puget Sound area and central Cascade mountains, impacting 22 watersheds, said Casey Sixkiller, director of the DOE. The declaration allows the state to use relief tools, such as expediting emergency water right transfers and providing emergency drought grants to public entities — there is $4.5 million available this year to support those actions, he said. Deputy State Climatologist Karin Bumbaco is quoted. 

WA’s drought emergency expands

Seattle, Tacoma and Everett are not included in the drought emergency. Instead, they’re covered under a less severe category of drought advisory. Even so, Seattle Public Utilities still anticipates it will have to find new sources of water for the growing customer base in an increasingly dry area over the coming decades. Deputy State Climatologist Karin Bumbaco is quoted. 

Snow melting fast in WA, American West

On the heels of a winter that left Washington’s mountaintops relatively bare, warm spring temperatures are melting off remaining snowpack far earlier than normal, heightening drought concerns across the state.

The phenomenon is plaguing the entire American West. Southwestern states have been hit hardest, with early snowmelts breaking records in Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah, federal data shows. 

NOAA terminates funding for Climate Impacts Group research collaborative

UW’s Northwest Climate Resilience Collaborative (NCRC) received notice May 5 that they were to lose their federal funding and ordered them to cease all work, effective immediately. The acting director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Grants Management Division sent this notice via letter to NCRC. 

Here’s what we stand to lose from NOAA funding cuts

NCRC projects included working with Tribes along the coasts of Oregon and Washington to prepare for climate-related coastal hazards. NCRC also worked with community members in rural Umatilla and Morrow counties in northeast Oregon, to address water scarcity and contaminated drinking water issues.