Climate Impacts Group

Preparing for future extreme heat events 

Two years after the deadliest weather-related event in Washington state history, a report from the UW offers both short-term and long-term ways to prepare for extreme heat in the future. Jason Vogel, interim director of the UW Climate Impacts Group, is interviewed. 

New report, tool suggest how Washington can better protect against extreme heat

Two years following the 2021 heat dome, a collaborative effort led by two University of Washington teams, the Climate Impacts Group and the Center for Health and the Global Environment, or CHanGE, has drawn up recommendations for how people and groups across the state could prevent future heat-related illness and save lives. The Climate Impacts Group’s latest report on extreme heat in Washington State is referenced. Dr. Jason Vogel is quoted.  

What can be learned from the Pacific Northwest’s 2021 heat wave

A new report reveals strategies to prevent the hundreds of deaths tied to the prolonged heat wave that hit the Pacific Northwest for several weeks in late June and July 2021, leading to a widespread public health emergency that strained the state’s emergency and healthcare systems. The Climate Impacts Group’s latest report on extreme heat in Washington State is referenced. 

Can Seattle take the heat? Officials say area is better prepared this summer

Emergency officials say the Seattle area is better prepared for extreme temperatures this summer than it was before the Northwest’s deadly heat dome of 2021. But making the region thoroughly heat-proof could take many years, and climate activists say government is not moving with the urgency that a climate crisis deserves. The Climate Impacts Group’s latest report on extreme heat in Washington State is referenced.  

Saving lives from extreme heat: Lessons from the deadly 2021 Pacific Northwest heat wave

The heat dome that descended upon the Pacific Northwest in late June 2021 met a population radically unprepared for it. Dr. Jason Vogel, Climate Impacts Group, and Dr. Brian Henning, Gonzaga University, co-authored this article for the Conversation. The Climate Impacts Group’s latest report on extreme heat in Washington State is referenced. This story was also run in the Lake County News, Kiowa County Press, Times Union, Fast Company, the Everett Daily Herald and the Daily News.  

How the Canadian wildfire smoke could shift Americans’ views on climate

As climate change dropped its calling card on the East Coast last week in the form of thick, dangerous smoke, millions of Americans and Canadians shared the jarring experience — forced to retreat indoors, cancel plans, wear masks and breathe hazardous air. The smoke that Canadian wildfires sent swirling over swaths of North America blanketed cities including New York, Philadelphia and Toronto, shocked many Easterners, broke air quality records and threatened people’s health. It also created a window, climate experts say, for catching people’s attention. Meade Krosby is quoted. 

“When these events happen, they’re a really important opportunity for helping the public make the connection between these kinds of events and climate change, and helping them understand what they can do.” – Meade Krosby, senior scientist, UW Climate Impacts Group

These things really do wear on you: The grief and hope shared by those studying the climate crisis

Eco-anxiety is on the rise among Americans, but for those who have been studying the climate crisis and its effects, this feeling is far from novel. Dr. Meade Krosby is quoted. 

WA could get millions in federal salmon recovery dollars

More than $60 million in federal grants could soon be on the way to help Washington’s rivers, endangered salmon and native eelgrass. Dr. Crystal Raymond is quoted.  

Drought planning forum explores risks, solutions for Methow Valley

The forum brought together water experts from the valley, the state, and federal agencies in early March. They explained hydrogeology and water storage, and outlined steps to preserve water for rivers and fish, residential and business use, and for agriculture. Research from the UW Climate Impacts Group is referenced.  

The Office of the Washington State Climatologist, Climate Impacts Group, and partners release 2022 PNW Water Year Impacts Assessment

The 2022 water year was characterized by abrupt transitions in weather – from an abnormally dry winter, to an abnormally wet spring, and back to an abnormally dry summer. The Climate Impacts Group, Office of the Washington State Climatologist and others developed the 2022 Pacific Northwest Water Year Impacts Assessment to summarize the water year conditions and related impacts experienced by agricultural producers, water managers, fisheries managers and other natural resource managers. Now in its third year, this year’s assessment focuses on impacts and responses to abrupt changes in conditions.

Access the Assessment

Overall, temperature averages and precipitation totals across Idaho, Oregon and Washington were close to normal during the 2022 water year.