Climate Impacts Group

Red flag fire warning in Cascades

The National Weather Service issued a Red Flag Warning for the western slopes of the north and central Cascades until Friday evening. Dr. Crystal Raymond is interviewed in this KING5 story.  

Heat wave serves WA a lesson in climate adaptation, mitigation

For better or worse, this heat wave is forcing Washington to recognize and confront the impacts of climate change. Dr. Meade Krosby is quoted.  

King County hoping to close heat disparity gap in low-income areas

Earlier this year, King County announced it’s developing an Extreme Heat Mitigation plan to better handle heat waves. Part of the county’s plan is to work on closing the heat disparity gap. Erica Asinas is quoted.  

The scientists who switched focus to fight climate change

Four researchers describe how they found different ways of responding to the planet’s biggest threat — from quitting tenure to overhauling their academic programme. Dr. Meade Krosby is quoted.  

AP News: From dry to deluge, how heavy snow, rain flooded Yellowstone

In Yellowstone, rivers and creeks this week raged with water much higher and faster than even the rare benchmark 500 year flood. Weather-whiplashed residents and government officials raced to save homes, roads and businesses. Guillaume Mauger is quoted. This article was picked up by five different news outlets.  

Preparations underway for Washington’s fire season

The Washington Department of Natural Resources expects a more “normal” season than last year but is still readying additional resources. CIG Scientist Dr. Crystal Raymond is quoted. 

Scenic Tacoma road permanently closed to cars. Blame climate change.

Crumbling cliffs have led Metro Parks Tacoma to permanently close two miles of Five Mile Drive, a popular park road built atop the bluffs of Tacoma’s Point Defiance 109 years ago. City officials are blaming climate change for the worsening erosion of a 150-foot-tall sea bluff that frames the Point Defiance peninsula as it juts into Puget Sound. Dr. Guillaume Mauger is quoted.  

How climate change will impact recreation in the Pacific Northwest

As the seasons change in Washington state from winter to spring, you can almost hear the collective cheers at the promise of warmer weather and sunnier days. For some, though, this time of year also marks the dreaded end of winter fun, as snow starts melting on the Pacific Northwest’s tallest peaks. But how will climate change affect outdoor recreation, not only during these transitional periods but throughout the year? And what can we expect in the coming years and decades? Dr. Amy Snover is quoted.

“The future isn’t written, meaning we don’t know exactly what will happen. We have already set some climate change impacts in motion, but how bad it is on the ground here in the Northwest depends on how quickly we act to reverse it.” 

– Dr. 

Seattle-area Nordic skier on her way to Beijing Paralympics

Fellow nurses train together in the Methow Valley, leading one of them to compete in the games. Climate Impacts Group research on snowpack is and snowmelt is referenced. 

What new projections of sea level rise mean for Puget Sound and the WA coast

Sea level rise will affect each area of the planet in a unique way, but new projections are helping researchers and lawmakers in Washington state identify which coastal communities are most vulnerable. Dr. Guillaume Mauger is quoted. 

“Even if we could magically turn off greenhouse gases tomorrow, we’re kind of stuck with what we’re going to get by 2050. What we see at the end of the century … is strongly dependent on how much we emit between now and then.” – Guillaume Mauger