Climate Impacts Group

Weather experts forecast spring temperatures in Lower Columbia area through Sunday

Temperatures in the Lower Columbia area through Sunday are expected to counter the six more weeks of winter predicted on Groundhog Day just last week. Research from the Climate Impacts Group is referenced.  

An unexpected item is blocking cities’ climate change prep: obsolete rainfall records

New sewers and storm drains will need to withstand rainfall that’s becoming more intense in a changing climate. But as cities make plans to tear up streets and pour cement, most have little to no information about how climate change will worsen future storms. Research from the Climate Impacts Group is referenced. 

Local climate change research projects future floods

Projections of future flooding from the Climate Impacts Group are referenced.  

Local artist, Climate Impacts Group collaborate to share vision for climate-resilient future

Ever wonder what a climate-resilient future might look like? How the communities, wildlife and landscapes might compare to what we see in the Pacific Northwest now?

Local artist Claire Sianna Seaman and the Climate Impacts Group are helping us envision this future with a painting depicting climate resilience in the Pacific Northwest region.

An album of pictures taken by UW Photographer Mark Stone capture the many details and scenes of the painting. To portray the project digitally, staff from the Climate Impacts Group developed a web-based story combining photos of the painting, a written statement from Claire, and audio clips from a showcase of the painting. 

Atmospheric Rivers Spur Debates on Flood Management in Washington State

After a series of storms dumped unprecedented amounts of rainfall on the northwestern corner of Washington last November, small communities in the Nooksack Valley were left severely flooded and asking questions about how to prevent flood damage in the future. Dr. Guillaume Mauger is quoted.  

Gangs Of Elk Are Feasting On Farmers’ Haystacks Across The Northwest

Gangs of wild elk are attacking farmers’ haystacks in Washington and Oregon. They’re hungry, after a long drought and record mountain snow this winter has driven animals down to the lowlands. Dr. Meade Krosby is quoted. This story also ran in Wichita Eagle and OPB.  

Op-Ed: Weather disasters can teach us how to prepare for the future

With climate change our challenge now is to reduce the impacts of flooding on our communities. We can do that by learning from these events when they happen, writes Guillaume Mauger, UW research scientist at the Climate Impacts Group in an Op-Ed. 

Workshop: Resilience planning for small water systems in Washington

Virtual Workshop: Resilience planning for small water systems in Washington
Tuesday, March 1, 2022
9 a.m.–noon

This workshop has past. You can access a recording of the workshop or learn more about this project below. 

WORKSHOP RECORDING

PROJECT PAGE

In 2021, Washington experienced record heat, precipitation deficits, low streamflows and declining aquifer levels. The fall and winter has brought record rains and flooding that damaged water system infrastructure. Climate change impacts water systems in Washington in a variety of ways. If operators have insufficient information about how their systems are at risk, the reliability and quality of drinking water could be compromised. 

Evacuations, search for missing persons continue after flooding in Washington

Extreme flooding pretty much cut off Seattle from the rest of the country last Friday. Meade Krosby is quoted. 

“We received a pretty shocking amount of rain in a very small amount of time across the state, particularly in Western Washington,” Krosby said. “Our soils are already really saturated, our rivers are already really high, and so getting this huge amount of precipitation in a really small amount of time led to significant flooding throughout the state.” 

Floods cut off Seattle from rest of the U.S.

As floods hit parts of the Northwestern U.S., Dr. Meade Krosby warned that policymakers must be pushed to develop immediate and long-term solutions.