Climate Impacts Group

What a ‘very strong’ El Niño could mean for WA

There is a 63% chance that a very strong El Niño will develop by this upcoming winter. Previous El Niño tend to bring warmer and drier winters, but there are only a few of these very strong El Niño events in the historical record available for comparison. Deputy State Climatologist Karin Bumbaco is quoted.  

Understanding How Growth Management, Water Efficiency, and Climate Could Shape Future Residential Water Demand in the Puget Sound Region

Despite the Puget Sound region’s reputation for abundant water, communities across western Washington are increasingly confronting summer water stress. Hotter, drier summers, declining snowpack, and rapid population growth are reshaping the timing and reliability of freshwater availability in the Puget Sound Region. 

Over the next 40 years, the region is expected to add roughly five million residents, increasing pressure on water infrastructure, freshwater ecosystems, and instream flows that support salmon and other species.

Understanding both how future regional water demand may change and the potential for alternative supplies are critical pieces of the region’s broader climate resilience strategy. To help address this challenge, the Climate Impacts Group partnered with Puget Sound Partnership on a multi-year project examining how future water management actions can support broader Puget Sound Recovery goals, both past and future.  

WA’s snowpack zapped as drought looms, reservoirs sink

Reservoir storage has begun to decline earlier than normal due to warm spring conditions and a lack of mountain snowpack. Early snowmelt means that reservoir storage will need to provide water over a longer portion of the year. Karin Bumbaco is quoted.  

Join our team as a Social Scientist! Apply by July 2

The UW Climate Impacts Group has an outstanding opportunity to join our team as an early career social scientist.

We are seeking a candidate with a social science or policy background and project management experience who can add breadth to the work we do and support CIG’s senior researchers on climate change adaptation projects with our federal, tribal, state, and local partners. While educational attainment is valued, we also encourage applications from practitioners who have worked in government, non-profits, and consulting who can bring a practical social science orientation to the CIG team.

The pay range is $68,736-$78,000 per year depending on experience. 

Hot, dry weekend raises Washington wildfire concerns: ‘Don’t be that spark’

A warm winter, poor snowpack, and dry and warm short-term conditions create ideal fire weather conditions. Given this year’s drought declaration, the fire season is likely to begin earlier than normal and we are likely to see higher than normal wildfire risk this summer. Karin Bumbaco is quoted.  

Seattle Is Updating Its Climate Plan for First Time in 13 Years

The city brought in experts from the University of Washington Climate Impacts Group and Public Health Seattle-King County to educate staff members in the room on the specific hazards climate change poses to Seattle, so actions can be woven into the plans that focused on preparing communities to withstand these threats.

Studying Heat Where It Hits Hardest

Haley Staudmyer, a PhD candidate at UC Irvine, spent a year at the Washington State Climate Office working on heat wave trends in the Pacific Northwest. Her time with the office overlapped with the impressive 2021 Heat Dome. Read more about Haley’s extreme heat research interests in this article.  

The science behind drought declarations

Much below normal snowpack driven largely by a warm winter has led to expectations of below normal water supply, prompting the Department of Ecology to issue a drought declaration. WASCO provides the WA Department of Ecology with historical and seasonal climate data to help inform these decisions. Karin Bumbaco is quoted.  

El Niño could start earlier than thought. What to expect in Whatcom County

Chances of an El Niño weather pattern forming this year jumped sharply with the release of a new report Thursday, meaning Bellingham and the rest of Western Washington could be looking at a warmer winter than normal with less rain and snow. Karin Bumbaco is quoted.

SPR News Today: After a wet but not snowy winter, will Washington growers have enough water for the summer?

Washington got a lot of rain this winter, not snow. That means while snowpack is historically low, an important reservoir is hitting its peak capacity for the first time in years. Jacob Genuise is quoted.