Climate Impacts Group

Welcoming Lisa Colligan

We are excited to welcome Lisa Colligan to the UW Climate Impacts Group team! Lisa is joining us as the program coordinator with the Climate Impacts Group and the Northwest Climate Resilience Collaborative.

Lisa has dedicated her career to exploring how proper land management can help us repair environmental and social damage. Lisa’s experience includes nonprofit management, program coordination, conservation and farming. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Environmental Geology in 2019 from Beloit College.

Lisa will be supporting logistics, coordination and internal communications for the Northwest Climate Resilience Collaborative and the Climate Impacts Group. In the next few months, Lisa will work to relaunch the NCRC Bulletin, help to plan the fall 2024 all-hands meeting in Spokane, and support a number of other CIG and NCRC projects. 

Life and death in the heat. What it feels like when Earth’s temperatures soar to record highs

As the warming Earth sizzled through a week with four of the hottest days ever measured, the world focused on cold, hard numbers that showed the average daily temperature for the entire planet. People from around the globe describe what record-setting heat actually feels like. Washington State Deputy Climatologist Karin Bumbaco is quoted. 

Drought Status Update for the Pacific Northwest

Drought and it’s impacts define summer in the Pacific Northwest. This report summarizes current conditions, outlook, and takeaways regarding snowpack, heat, and drought throughout the summer in the Pacific Northwest. Washington State Deputy Climatologist Karin Bumbaco is a co-author.  

Grad student field trip to La Conner

Seattle-area graduate students took a field trip to La Conner and the Swinomish Reservation [on July 17] and afterward gave the Swinomish Tribe high marks for its focus on environmental protection. CIG scientist Rishi Sugla is mentioned. 

Climate Impacts Group releases new strategic plan

The Climate Impacts Group has released a new strategic plan to guide the next five years of our work. Among several key priorities, the strategic plan reflects a commitment to centering equity in climate adaptation, with particular attention to environmental justice and community resilience. 

This commitment to equity will shape our approach to all of our work. We will be organizing our work into four priorities — action-oriented research, decision making, capacity-building and communications. An additional fifth priority — fundraising — is crucial to ensuring CIG can deliver greater impact across our first four strategic priorities.

“This marks a really important moment for the Climate Impacts Group,” Jason Vogel, interim director of the Climate Impacts Group, says. 

What one of Seattle’s hottest starts to July means for the rest of summer

After a rather cool June, July began with a ravenous desire to make up ground, kick-starting summer conditions across Western Washington with over a week of above-average temperatures, the hottest day since the hottest day ever in 2021 and record daytime and overnight highs. Washington State Deputy Climatologist Karin Bumbaco is quoted.  

Special Edition Drought Status Update for Pacific Northwest Tribal Nations

Report summarizing current conditions, outlook, and takeaways regarding snowpack, heat, and drought as it applies to tribal lands in the Pacific Northwest. Washington State Deputy Climatologist is a co-author.  

‘Most of our snow is already gone,’ Washington climatologist says; recent heat wave had little impact

The recent spate of hot weather sent many Clark County residents scrambling to find a cool escape. However, the soaring temperatures had little impact on snowpack melt coming from the mountains. Washington State Deputy Climatologist Karin Bumbaco is quoted. 

Meet the Rare, ‘Beautiful’ Birds That Thrive in Snow and Are at Risk Because of Climate Change

The Mount Rainier white-tailed ptarmigan is specialized to dwell in high alpine environments—that is to say, it thrives in cold weather. But as the planet heats up because of human-caused climate change, these birds are in trouble. Now, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service hopes to protect them from that fate by listing them as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act. The federal agency announced its decision this month, citing climate change as the primary reason. Nick Bond, Emeritus State Climatologist, is quoted.  

Case Study: An Early Drought Declaration Gave Washington Communities Opportunity To Prepare

A drought declaration earlier this spring opened up funding to eligible public entities in Washington to respond to more intense drought conditions before they arrived this summer. Washington State Deputy Climatologist Karin Bumbaco is a co-author.