Climate Impacts Group

Extreme weather events and climate change

Dr. Crystal Raymond, climate adaptation specialist, says that research on the connection between climate change and wildfires has been very accurate and that expectations are that wildfires won’t get better until we can reduce warming. 

Wildfire forecast: How to stay safe and what to expect this summer in the Pacific Northwest

Is another fiery smokeageddon on the horizon for 2021? And if so, what can you do about it? Climate Adaptation Specialist Dr. Crystal Raymond is quoted.  

Critters search for shade during Washington’s heat wave, possible harbinger of future climate conditions

This week’s heat wave will have an impact on deer, elk, moose, sage-grouse and other species. Exactly how it will impact those species remains to be seen. CIG Director Dr. Amy Snover is quoted.  

Seattle Under the Heat Dome

As global temperatures rise, the Pacific Northwest is obliterating heat records. Climate Impacts Group research is referenced.  

How climate change ‘loads the dice’ for heat waves

This week’s sizzling temperatures may herald a climate reality that scientists thought was still decades in the future. Senior Scientist Dr. Meade Krosby is quoted. This story also ran in CleanTechnica.  

Announcing two Spanish-language reports on climate impacts in Washington

The UW Climate Impacts Group and several community partners are excited to share two Spanish-language reports on the impacts of climate change for Washington State. The reports — Sin Tiempo Que Perder and Cambiando las Líneas de Nieve y las Líneas de Costa — were originally published in English in 2018 and 2020, and are written for a general audience including policy makers, community organizers, journalists and the public.

Warmer temperatures, more severe floods, intensifying wildfires — the impacts of a changing climate are already being felt across Washington, and affect some communities disproportionately. We must engage and mobilize all communities to make real progress in preparing for the effects of climate change. 

Bigger and worse wildfires? UW fire experts weigh in

Heading into the 2021 fire season, two big questions loom in everyone’s minds, so we checked in with some fire experts at UW Environment to ask: Are fires getting worse over time? If so, what compounding factors are in place? Dr. Crystal Raymond is quoted.  

Carbon in Earth’s atmosphere reaches highest mark in modern history, scientists say

Despite a significant drop in people driving and flying early in the pandemic, the amount of carbon in the Earth’s atmosphere is higher before than ever in modern history. Dr. Amy Snover and Deputy Director Dr. Jason Vogel are quoted. 

I want to fly to Hawaii, but I don’t want to wreck the planet. With carbon offsets, can I do both?

CIG Director Dr. Amy Snover is among six experts in climate change, sustainability and green technology interviewed about carbon offsets.  

Forest fires impact on water quality

Day two of the National Academies of Sciences discussions focused on how climate change, notably forest fires, could affect the water quality of Lake Coeur d’Alene. Research Scientist Dr. Guillaume Mauger is quoted.