Climate Impacts Group

Ecology debunks federal climate report, reaffirms commitment to real science

The Washington Department of Ecology issued an official rebuke of a draft report by the U.S. Department of Energy being used to justify the Trump Administration’s rollback of federal climate regulations. At the same time, Ecology also released a new analysis that details worsening local impacts now and in the future due to rising global emissions. The Climate Impacts Group IPCC AR6 and NCA5 assessment is cited.  

It’s hot out there! Western Washington endures late summer heatwave

Heatwaves in August were experienced regionally in August. Late summer high temperatures are magnified by a lack of rain, which has become more common in the Northwest during the summer months. Deputy State Climatologist Karin Bumbaco is quoted.  

La Niña is over. What’s in the fall and winter forecast for Western Washington?

Fall and winter in Bellingham, and the rest of Western Washington, could be closer to seasonal norms, as last winter’s La Niña weather pattern — now in a neutral phase — is expected to return half-heartedly late in the year. Deputy State Climatologist Karin Bumbaco is quoted.  

How does your WA neighborhood rank for ‘tree equity’? Check this map

A new online tool, developed by conservation nonprofit American Forests and the Washington Department of Natural Resources, lets Washington residents explore where [summer heat] inequities exist. Climate Impacts Group’s report In the Hot Seat is mentioned.  

6 ways WA’s warming mountains are changing — and what could be lost

Humans expected that a region like the Pacific Northwest would only ever grow so cold or hot, so wet or dry. But the range of these limits is expanding, pushing our world toward more extremes. In this story, Seattle Times journalists document some of these changes already underway in our melting mountains — shifts and species threats that will continue to intensify if fossil fuel emissions are not controlled and the planet continues to warm. The UW’s Climate Impacts Group is referenced. 

Friday soaker nowhere near enough to pull WA from drought

Washington was slumped in a drought even before the summer began. The rain that began falling early Friday was a welcome sight, but it won’t be near enough to overcome the long-standing deficit. State Climatologist Guillaume Mauger is mentioned.  

Smoke, sprinklers, aluminum foil: Fighting fire on the Olympic Peninsula

Extreme heat launched the Bear Gulch Fire across 2,000 additional acres of forest on Tuesday and Wednesday, pouring thick smoke on the Hood Canal communities of Hoodsport and Skokomish, Washington. In the three months leading up to the fire, Lake Cushman received 30% of its normal 9.4 inches of rainfall. State Climatologist Guillaume Mauger is mentioned.  

Amid a hot and smoky Pacific Northwest summer, communities seek innovative and collaborative solutions to build resilience

Against [the] backdrop of escalating climate risk, C2ES recently traveled to Seattle, Washington to kick off the second regional Climate Resilient Communities Accelerator. The first in-person convening of the South-Central Puget Sound Accelerator focused on extreme heat and wildfire smoke impacts in the region. State Climatologist Guillaume Mauger is mentioned.  

Meet our 2025 Summer Interns

Cyril Clement, Mutual Aid and Climate Resilience Intern

B.Sc. Environmental Studies and Medical Anthropology double major and Data Science minor

Cyril (he/him) is an undergraduate student at the University of Washington, Seattle, majoring in Environmental Studies and Medical Anthropology, with a minor in Data Science. His academic interests lie in the intersection of climate change and public health. Research has been a central part of his undergraduate journey, with projects covering topics such as health insurance access, community farms, and green stormwater infrastructure. Through his further studies and career, he plans to work closely with communities to uncover ways to disrupt the policies and systemic mechanisms that contribute to environmental injustice. 

Integrating Climate Adaptation into Water System Planning: CIG’s Collaboration with WA Dept. of Health

HB1181 tasked the Climate Impacts Group with supporting DOH’s development of the WSP CRE, recently published in the updated Water System Planning Guidebook. Resources developed as part of this effort include the supplemental DOH WSP Climate Resilience Element workbook and a webpage with curated resources. “This new requirement provides an important opportunity to connect water system practitioners with a broad array of established tools and resources designed to strengthen system resilience to emerging climate-related risks,” describes Ryan Hasert, CIG Scientist and co-author of the CRE.