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| Media Coverage

4th WA drought emergency. ‘No way to sugarcoat’ power, fish and fire risks

The entire state of Washington was declared in a drought emergency Wednesday as state officials nervously eyed an unusually low snowpack and a likely hotter and drier than usual spring and summer ahead. At the heart of the declaration is the Yakima River basin, which is in a drought emergency for a fourth year in a row. Deputy State Climatologist Karin Bumbaco is quoted.  

Read here.
| Media Coverage

WA declares unprecedented fourth drought emergency in a row

This year the snowpack sits at about half its normal levels and it’s melting early. This has been the state’s third-warmest winter on record, meaning that moisture is increasingly falling as rain rather than snow. Deputy State Climatologist Karin Bumbaco is mentioned.  

Read here.
| April 2026, Washington State Climate Office

Pacific Northwest Water Year 2025 Impacts Assessment Released

The sixth annual Pacific Northwest (PNW) Water Year Impacts Assessment provides a detailed evaluation of climate conditions and related impacts across Idaho, Oregon, and Washington during the 2025 water year (October 1, 2024–September 30, 2025). 

Learn about the Water Year
| Media Coverage

Northwest starts to feel the heat following un-snowy winter

The Northwest has had plenty of precipitation, but too much of it fell as rain instead of snow for a plentiful snowpack to develop. October through December 2025 was the warmest such three-month period on record in Washington. The Washington State Climate Office is mentioned. 

Read here.
| Media Coverage

WSDOT has begun clearing North Cascades Highway; weather has helped so far

Road damage and rockslides caused by heavy rain in the passes along Highway 20 will take time to remove and repair, even though the snowpack in the North Cascades is about 75% of normal. The Washington State Climate Office is mentioned. 

Read here.
| April 2026, Northwest Climate Adaptation Science Center

“Finding Tomorrow’s Climate in Today’s Landscapes”: New Study and Tools Available to Support Land Management Decisions Around Vegetation Change

A new, NW CASC-supported study led by researchers at the University of Montana and partners in the U.S. Forest Service, Conservation Science Partners, and Vibrant Planet, uses climate-analog modeling to explore the future of vegetation change in the western U.S. This study found that about one third of the western U.S. is highly vulnerable to ecological transformation by the middle of the 21st century, and that more than any other vegetation groups, subalpine forest and alpine ecosystems are most at risk of declining by mid-21st century. 

Learn more from NW CASC
| Media Coverage

Study: Pacific Northwest needs to prepare for extreme heat events

A new study published by the Northwest Adaptation Science Center synthesizes management responses to the 2021 extreme heat event. Climate Impacts Group Research Scientist Eva Colberg is quoted. 

  

Read here.
| Media Coverage

After a glimpse of hope, WA’s snowpack dips back into the red

Snowpack declined during an early season snowmelt event across Washington, reducing snowpack back near record-low levels. Deputy State Climatologist Karin Bumbaco is mentioned. 

Read here.
| Media Coverage

There’s an El Niño watch. Here’s how it could affect Western Washington weather

An El Niño watch for the fall was issued in early March, raising concerns about the warm and dry pattern exacerbating current drought conditions, which have been amplified by this past winter’s low snowpack. Deputy State Climatologist Karin Bumbaco is quoted. 

Read here.
| Media Coverage

UW and DRCC release ‘Living With Water’ report

In January 2026, the Duwamish River Community Coalition (DRCC) and the UW Center for Disaster Resilient Communities (CDRC) released a report 18 months in the making regarding nature-based strategies to address flooding in Duwamish River communities. The project, entitled “Living With Water,” used community-based research strategies to identify nature-based solutions to flooding that align with community needs. The Climate Impacts Group was a partner on this project.

Read more on The Daily
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