Climate Impacts Group

State Route 20 reopens for the year

State Route 20 opened for the season on April 19. Lower-than-average snowfall in the Cascades contributed to a smooth spring clearing process for the Washington Department of Transportation’s crew in its North Central Region. Dr. Crystal Raymond, climate adaptation specialist at the Climate Impacts Group, is quoted.  

Grizzlies are returning to WA’s North Cascades – how will that work?

Among the jagged peaks of the North Cascades, lush alpine meadows rich with berries and wildflowers blanket valleys carved by glaciers, some threaded with trickling creeks. But these idyllic landscapes are missing one big thing that had helped sustain them over the millennia: grizzly bears. Dr. Krosby is quoted. 

Tribal leaders host summit to share climate change stories, solutions

About 500 people representing at least 120 tribal nations, environmental organizations, researchers, energy developers and government agencies converged in Muckleshoot for the sixth climate summit hosted by the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians. A UW tool is mentioned and Dr. Krosby is quoted.  

How the drought hit WA’s farms, forests, fisheries and drinking water 

Virtually every aspect of life in Washington suffered during last year’s drought. Groundwater wells ran dry, fields produced fewer crops, trees died in greater numbers, fish faced disease and famine, according to a study from the University of Washington’s Climate Impacts Group and the Office of the Washington State Climatologist. Karin Bumbaco, interim state climatologist, is quoted. The 2023 PNW Water Year Assessment is referenced.  

New report shows how drought impacted WA, helps agencies plan for future 

Researchers released their 2023 “Pacific Northwest Water Year Impacts Assessment” this month, examining how Washington, Oregon and Idaho were impacted by precipitation and temperatures. Karin Bumbaco is quoted. The Climate Impacts Group and the Office of the Washington State Climatologist are mentioned.  

Climate Impacts Group, partners release fourth PNW Water Year Assessment

As drought persists across parts of Washington and the Pacific Northwest, a team of scientists have developed an annual assessment to help water managers and agricultural producers prepare for dry conditions and other weather extremes.

The fourth Pacific Northwest Water Year Impacts Assessment, released today, summarizes variations in temperature, precipitation and snowpack across Oregon, Washington and Idaho in 2023. Additionally, it details the impacts of these variations on key sectors such as agriculture and drinking water, and how sectors responded to these impacts. For the first time, a summary of the assessment is also available in Spanish.

The assessment is one product of a collaborative process between water managers and scientists at the Office of the Washington State Climatologist, the Climate Impacts Group, Oregon Climate Service, Idaho Department of Water Resources and NOAA’s National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS). 

Biden earmarks half a billion for salmon on upper Green River

An additional $500 million could be on its way to help unlock almost half, or about 100 river and stream miles, of the Green River’s historical salmon spawning and rearing habitat behind Howard Hanson Dam. The UW Climate Impacts Group is mentioned.  

Join our team and support climate justice research & outreach!

Do you have a background in the social sciences and a passion for climate or environmental justice? Apply to join the Climate Impacts Group team!

The Climate Impacts Group is hiring a research scientist to support climate justice research and outreach through the Northwest Climate Resilience Collaborative. This position will contribute to a body of work that focuses on moving climate adaptation and climate justice into an implementation space. The research scientist will help create case studies and synthesis reports related to climate justice, community-based research and projects within the Northwest Climate Resilience Collaborative. Additionally, this position will support the development and logistics of a climate justice summer institute and other projects. 

Wildfire smoke will worsen, new study shows, and protections are few

Climate change is amplifying wildfires, and more smoke means higher risk of heart and lung disease from inhaling tiny particles that can drift far and wide, researchers said. Crystal Raymond, climate adaptation specialist at the UW Climate Impacts Group, is quoted in this article from the New York Times.  

Have we been talking about climate change all wrong?

Greenhouse gasses are making the planet hotter, but some scientists argue focusing on temperature overlooks a more visible danger: rising sea levels. UW research is referenced, and Guillaume Mauger, research scientist at the UW Climate Impacts Group, is quoted in this article from National Geographic.