Climate Impacts Group

Letter from the Director – September 2026

Dear Climate Impacts Group Community:

As summer comes to a close, I’ve been reflecting on growth and transformation — work and life move in cycles, just like nature. 

This summer, we hosted seven EarthLab interns who brought their passion and expertise to a variety of projects. One project with the Northwest Regional Invasive Species and Climate Change network (NW RISCC) resulted in a management brief that beautifully renders art and science to inform us about climate change impacts on ticks in the Northwest. As our interns move on to their next adventure, I continue to be grateful for CIG’s place at the university and our connection to the next generation of environmental leaders. 

Trees, Rain, Floods, and Capacity Building: Four Climate Resilience Projects In Action

Four teams of Climate Impacts Group research scientists and partners were awarded funding from the UW College of the Environment’s 2025 Collaborative Research in Earth System Science and Technology (CRESST) initiative to pursue action-oriented environmental research.

What do drilling small holes in trees, catching rain to quantify precipitation amounts, hosting community conversations on flooding, and training community college faculty on tribal co-management have in common? These are some of the ways that the UW Climate Impacts Group is conducting applied research to support the development of climate adaptation strategies.

The Fund For Science and Technology, a new foundation within the Paul G. 

Climate Adaptation Science Center Network Convenes at UW Seattle for a Week of Connection and Learning

This week, the Northwest Climate Adaptation Science Center (NW CASC) hosted 50 collaborators from the National CASC and nine regional CASCs for the network’s annual meeting. Traveling from the Pacific Islands, Alaska and across the lower 48, CASC staff gathered in Seattle to connect, share lessons learned from regional and national CASC programs and areas of research, and advance efforts to evaluate and communicate the impact of the CASC program.

This meeting provided an opportunity to reflect on the strong relationships and trust across the network, which has been built over the program’s 16 years and has been key to its impact and longevity. 

We’re hiring a research scientist specializing in water management – apply by 9/27

The UW Climate Impacts Group has an outstanding opportunity for a mid-career research scientist who specializes in water management systems to join our team and play a critical role in advancing climate resilience for the Pacific Northwest.

New project better maps Skagit River flooding risks

New Skagit flood models help officials, residents better understand risks

Some of the smaller towns in Skagit County are still using paper maps with 40-year-old floodplain designations to inform their decision-making. To fill that information vacuum, the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community just wrapped up a two-year project to create an updated, climate-change-informed model of Skagit River and coastal flooding, from the Cascades to the Skagit and Samish deltas. Guillaume Mauger was quoted. 

Climate Smart Communities Initiative Awards CIG, Kalispel Tribe $115k to Support Community-Led Climate Resilience Project

The UW Climate Impacts Group (CIG) was awarded a grant from the Climate Smart Communities Initiative (CSCI), a public-private partnership that helps communities across the country plan and prepare for extreme weather events and other climate impacts.

This award, which includes $115,000 in funding as well as technical support, will enable CIG, the Kalispel Tribe, and the Kalispel Public Works Advisory Committee to work together to address critical water-related climate hazards such as flooding, drought, and stormwater infrastructure degradation in the Kalispel community. The grant will support staff coordination and data collection to complete a Drought, Flood, and Stormwater Vulnerability Assessment for the protection of critical infrastructure and natural habitats. 

Register Today for the OR/WA Water Year 2026 Recap & 2027 Outlook Meeting

The 20th annual Oregon-Washington Water Year Meeting: 2026 Recap and 2027 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 2026 water year. December flooding, lack of winter snowpack, drought development, and the above average wildfire season 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 2027, including discussion of what the very strong El Niño in the tropical Pacific means for the region.  

Climate Matters: A Wildfire Note From Dave Upthegrove, Washington DNR (Washington Climate Office)

Dave Upthegrove, Commissioner of Public Lands, reminds us that we are not powerless in the face of wildfire. This month’s Washington State Climate Office Climate Matters takes a look at what the Department of Natural Resources is doing to manage wildfire risk statewide. 

What to expect from a ‘very strong’ El Niño in the Pacific Northwest

To help understand what we should expect, the UW College of Environment sat down with Deputy Washington State Climatologist and UW Climate Impacts Group research scientist Karin Bumbaco, who discussed how El Niño works, what it has to do with climate change and how it might impact the Pacific Northwest this winter.