Climate Impacts Group

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 co…

Washington is a state with a wide variety of climate zones and localized ‘microclimates.’ This engaging piece notes the most notable microclimates across WA and what factors create these unique climate features in our state. Emeritus State Climatologist Nick Bond and Engagement Climatologist Jacob Genuise are featured.   

January brought warmer than normal temperatures and near record-breaking dry spells. Both factors contributed to worsening snowpack across the state. The Washington State Climate Office is mentioned.

This winter has been the warmest on record, which may lead to anomalous bloom times this Spring. Washington State Climate Office is mentioned. 

From December’s flooding to January’s warm temperatures and less-than-average precipitation, this year’s winter has been particularly volatile. These observations offer a snapshot of northwest winters to come. Deputy State Climatologist Karin Bumbaco is quoted.

The December 2025 flooding was triggered by intense atmospheric rivers. Warm conditions meant much of this precipitation fell as rain rather than snow, overwhelming river basins across Western Washington. The Washington State Climate Office is mentioned. 

The National Weather Service predicts a La Nina will exit soon, uncharacteristically leaving behind a puny snowpack in Oregon and Washington. Below-average temperatures triggered the La Nina, normally linked to colder and wetter winters in the Pacific Northwest. This winter, however, has been more typical of a strong El Nino, triggered by warm seas. Deputy State Climatologist Karin Bumbaco is quo…

The snowpack at Harts Pass is healthy, but that’s the exception for Washington’s normally snowy mountains. Despite record-breaking rainstorms in December, this winter has been warmer and drier than usual, leaving most of the state with little to no snow. The overall state snowpack as of early February was lower than in 95% of all years in the historical record. Engagement Climatologist Jacob Genu…

October through January marked the warmest first four months of the water year ever recorded in Washington, averaging more than 3 degrees Fahrenheit above normal. Deputy State Climatologist Karin Bumbaco is quoted.  

Oregon’s snowpack has fallen to its lowest level on record for this time of year, part of a broader snow drought gripping the Pacific Northwest and raising concerns about water supplies, wildfire risk and impacts to farms and fisheries. Deputy State Climatologist Karin Bumbaco is quoted. 

Dear friend, As we watch this winter’s weather unfold and keep a close eye on our very low snowpack conditions, we have also begun planning for summer – including preparing to welcome a new cohort of student interns through the EarthLab internship program! UW undergraduate students from all departments and campuses are eligible to apply for these paid positions, several of which are hosted within…

Right now, Washington’s snowpack sits at the third-lowest level in the last 40 years. Only 2005 and 2015 were worse by this time of year and both years saw massive and devastating droughts. Time remains for winter weather to dump inches of snow on the region’s mountains, but the current trends aren’t bringing much optimism for the weeks ahead. Deputy State Climatologist Karin Bumbaco is quoted.

The critical resource for salmon, irrigation, hydropower, and soil moisture—key to avoiding extreme wildfires— has taken a hit following the warmest December in more than a century of record keeping. Deputy State Climatologist Karin Bumbaco is quoted. 

This 3-minute newscast follows up on the December 2025 Washington floods with what recovery looks like, and how Washingtonians are assessing future flood risk. State Climatologist Guillaume Mauger is interviewed. 

Unusually low snowpack this winter is raising serious drought and water supply concerns across the western U.S. The core problem isn’t a lack of precipitation — it’s warmth. State Climatologist Guillaume Mauger is quoted.

Statewide snowpack, including in the Spokane basin, is sitting around half of what it should be at this point in the winter. Snowpack acts like a bank account storing water for use during our dry summers. There is still time for improvement, but we will need a wet and cold end to the winter to make up for these deficits. State Climatologist Guillaume Mauger is quoted. 

The Climate Impacts Group is finishing up a study on future floods on the Green River. The modeling clearly shows more and bigger floods coming into Howard Hanson dam in the future. It appears the dam can help, but downstream flows will likely reach higher levels more often, potentially putting more stress on levees. State Climatologist Guillaume Mauger is quoted.

 

Many job orientations start in a lobby or a conference room. This one began at the scars left by a dam and wound its way to the mouth of a great river. Sixteen emerging environmental professionals – of different backgrounds, but together undertaking a new chapter in their careers – gathered for lunch on the pebbly shore, waves lapping near where the Elwha empties itself into the Strait of Juan de…