Climate Impacts Group

Marine heatwave over Pacific Ocean could lead to flooding in north-west

A marine heatwave known as a blob was especially severe this year in the north-western and central Pacific Ocean, which could lead in the coming months to increased flooding in the US Pacific north-west and especially wintery weather in eastern North America, according to climate scientists. Emeritus State Climatologist Nick Bond is quoted.   

Washington water year cut into irrigation allotments

Washington’s 2025 water year was dry and hot and its effects are lingering into the new water year. In early October, the Department of Ecology curtailed senior water rights in the Yakima Basin due to lack of available water. This is the first time that senior water rights have been curtailed in Washington. The Washington State Climate Office calculates the water year — Oct. 1, 2024, to Sept. 30, 2025 — was the 37th driest and four warmest on record. Records date back to 1895. Deputy State Climatologist Karin Bumbaco is quoted.  

Return of The Blob: Heat wave spans Pacific Ocean

A massive heat wave is hitting the Pacific Ocean from Kamchatka to California. Beyond disrupting the ocean’s food web and fisheries, the underwater heat wave, known as “The Blob,” can alter weather on land thousands of miles away. Emeritus State Climatologist Nick Bond is quoted.  

Letter from the Director – October 2025

Happy Fall!

As the UW community begins a new academic year, we are reminded just how much students and faculty make the Climate Impacts Group what it is. While the CIG is not a degree-granting department, we interact with students in many ways. We host undergraduate summer interns and a graduate student summer school, employ graduate students to support projects, serve on thesis advisory committees, and even teach a course on co-production of climate change adaptation solutions. We’ve found incorporating students and faculty as collaborators on our projects and the cross-pollination of their studies and our research to be invaluable! We’re pleased to introduce you to this summer’s fantastic interns and their projects in this issue. 

Q&A with our summer interns: Studying Adaptation, Building Skills for a Career in Climate

Intern season is one of our favorite times of year! The EarthLab Summer Internship Program is a nine-week paid internship for UW undergraduate students to build knowledge in environmental and climate justice through a cohort-based peer learning model. Every summer, the Climate Impacts Group hosts interns who reliably provide fresh and valuable input on our projects while receiving career development support. This year, our five interns entered the program representing a breadth of disciplines — computer science, education, business marketing & sustainability, medical anthropology and biology. They worked with the Washington State Climate Office on a flood modeling analysis project and Inclusive Excellence evaluation; with the Northwest Climate Adaptation Science Center on science communications and invasive mussel research; and with CIG scientists on mutual aid research.  

Planning for Extreme Heat in Western Washington: Ongoing workshops highlight opportunities for regional collaboration and coordination

Summers in western Washington have historically been quite mild, but extreme heat has become much more common in the past couple of decades. This summer, the Washington State Climate Office (WASCO) participated in three separate extreme heat planning efforts, led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, and the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES).

‘The blob’ returns: Record Pacific Ocean heatwave threatens weather, marine life

It’s back!!! The “blob” has returned. No, not the 1958 sci-fi film of the same name starring a young Steve McQueen in his first leading role. This “blob” is the marine heatwave that now spans much of the Northeast Pacific Ocean. Emeritus State Climatologist Nick Bond is quoted. 

Strategy in action: Achievements and next steps for Washington’s climate resilience strategy

June to August of 2025 was, according to the Washington State Climate Office, the fourth-warmest since 1895. The summer of 2025 was also the seventh-driest in that time span – with much of the state under a drought emergency declaration, the sixth in the past 10 years. The Washington State Climate Office is mentioned. 

West Seattle Ecology Fair 2025, report #2: Heat waves aren’t just a source of discomfort

Today’s West Seattle Ecology Fair at Our Lady of Guadalupe was about more than just connecting with resources… – it was also an opportunity to hear about climate science. Emeritus State Climatologist Nick Bond is quoted and the UW Climate Impacts Group is mentioned.  

The Attacks on Science Continue—This Time at the USGS

Through a massive budget slashing proposal, the Trump administration is threatening [the USGS] by defunding the agency’s biology programs. With a 90 percent cut to its budget, the Ecosystems Mission Area (EMA) would have a mere $29 million to spend next year. The move would be disastrous to this biological research arm of the Interior Department, where scientists monitor the changes to plants and animal populations occurring across the country. Senior scientist Meade Krosby is quoted.