Climate Impacts Group

Seattle just had the warmest week in January on record 

Seattle’s average temperature in the past week was 53.8 degrees. According to the National Weather Service, that was the warmest seven-day period between Jan. 1 and Feb. 1 on record since 1984. Resources from the Climate Impacts Group and the Office of the Washington State Climatologist are referenced. 

Apply Today! Science Justice Summer School

Update | February 22, 2024: The application deadline has been extended to Monday, March 11.

Update | February 15, 2024: This post has been updated to clarify that only graduate students and postdoctoral researchers from the University of Washington, Seattle University and Seattle Pacific University are eligible to apply for the Science Justice Summer School. We apologize for any confusion. 

Are you a grad student or postdoc at the University of Washington, Seattle University or Seattle Pacific University who is interested in applying climate and environmental justice frameworks in your work? Consider applying to the Northwest Climate Resilience Collaborative’s first-ever Science Justice Summer School! 

Now Hiring: Washington State Climatologist

The Office of the Washington State Climatologist and the Climate Impacts Group are hiring a State Climatologist to lead the activities of the Office of the Washington State Climatologist. 

APPLY NOW 

The Office of the Washington State Climatologist serves as a credible and expert source of climate and weather information for the state of Washington. They specialize in analyzing weather and climate trends within the broader context of climate change, and disseminating this information through presentations, media interviews, committee participation and more. The Office’s newly-released strategic plan outlines four strategic goals in support of their mission: 1) provide reputable climate data and interpretation, 2) broaden climate services through targeted engagement, 3) coproduce new applied climate research, and 4) acquire resources for the sustainability of the Office. 

Join an Upcoming Input Session to Learn About NW CASC’s New Faculty Fellowship Program & Provide Feedback

The Northwest Climate Adaptation Science Center is preparing to launch a Faculty Fellows Program to expand the community of Northwest researchers equipped to effectively co-produce actionable adaptation science. To ensure the new program meets the needs of faculty in the NW CASC Consortium, we are hosting two informational sessions to share our vision for the program and to seek feedback that will inform a Request for Proposals later this spring. If you’re interested in decision-relevant science that helps advance climate resilience in the Northwest, please join us and share your thoughts! 

Washington State Climate Office releases new strategic plan

The Washington State Climate Office (formerly called the Office of the Washington State Climatologist) has released a new strategic plan to guide their future work. Among several key priorities, the strategic plan emphasizes engaging with decision makers and communities and co-producing applied research. 

Building off of their long history of providing climate data and information for local and state governments, communities, tribes and other organizations, the Washington State Climate Office will develop new long-term partnerships with priority stakeholders, help build capacity among key partners and cultivate applied and multi-disciplinary research collaborations. The Office will also explore new avenues of funding to help grow and sustain themselves over the long-term.  

Snowless in Seattle? What weather to expect this winter

In a Jan. 9 report by the Office of the Washington State Climatologist, December 2023 was the third warmest on record for the state. Guillaume Mauger is quoted in this story from the UW Daily. 

Fifth National Climate Assessment shows what the Northwest can expect without climate action

On November 14, the Biden Administration released the Fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA) detailing how climate change is affecting the United States and how institutions and communities are responding. Crystal Raymond is quoted in this UW Daily article.  

‘Labor of love’ motivates scrappy nordic ski club in North Cascades 

Salmon Ridge Sno-Park is the main trailhead to access some 14 miles of forest roads maintained by the Nooksack Nordic Ski Club for groomed skiing, plus many more miles of ungroomed backcountry trails. Founded in 1992 by a group of Whatcom County cross-country enthusiasts, the volunteer club has cultivated a small but mighty nordic community in an unforgiving setting that receives snow and rain in seemingly equal measure. A UW Climate Impacts Group report is mentioned.  

In tiny Silvana, flooding is a way of life. This time the river reached a record high

The Stillaguamish River on Norman Road in Snohomish County set a record and crested at 21.34 feet on Wednesday. Homes and businesses were inundated, water spilled into farm fields, and for several hours Silvana was reachable only by boat. A UW Climate Impacts Group report is mentioned in this Seattle Times article.  

NCA5 Northwest – November 30 Webinar

Cascadia Consulting Group and the Climate Impacts Group held an informational webinar covering the Northwest Chapter of the Fifth National Climate Assessment on November 30, 2023. The webinar will focus on the significance of the report for Washington, and include information about climate action by Washington State agencies. The webinar recording is now available. Copy and paste the following passcode to access: j!8N*?27