Climate Impacts Group

Local and state agencies in Washington state need localized and accessible information on climate change to help prepare their communities for climate related impacts. Climate Mapping for a Resilient Washington aims to meet this need as a go-to resource for understanding projected changes in climate across the state. The web tool, released in January, was funded by the Washington State Legislature and developed by the University of Washington Climate Impacts Group with assistance from University of Idaho Research Data & Computing Services and input from state and local governments.

Climate Mapping for a Resilient Washington will be included in comprehensive planning guidance from the Washington Department of Commerce, which Commerce is developing in partnership with other state agencies. The Department of Commerce is also working with three cities in Washington to pilot their guidance, including use of the web tool, to incorporate climate resilience elements into their comprehensive plans. Lessons learned through the pilot program are being used to refine the climate planning guidance that will be released in June. A draft of the guidance will be available for review and comment beginning in April. To review the draft climate guidance, visit Commerce’s climate webpage.

Climate Mapping for a Resilient Washington includes downscaled climate projections of extreme precipitation, extreme heat, snowpack, streamflow drought, sea level rise and wildfire, all intentionally selected from existing datasets and customized to meet the needs of Washington communities. Changes in these climate hazards are mapped across the state and summarized to the county level to inform local planning. Specific indicators of changes in the climate are provided for the multiple sectors that are often covered in local planning, such as buildings and energy, human health, transportation, economic development and water resources.

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