Highlighting applications of climate tools to decision-making

Katherine Hegewisch, John Abatzoglou, and Erica Fleishman The Climate Impacts Research Consortium is pleased to introduce two new series of documents that increase accessibility of the Climate Toolbox: the Climate Toolbox Summaries series, which provides overviews of tools, and the Climate Toolbox Case Studies series, which highlights how users are applying the tools to decision-making….

Insights from and about the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report

Philip Mote In August, 2021, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released the long-awaited first volume of its Sixth Assessment Report (AR6), which focuses on the physical climate system. Since the last assessment report in 2013, Global warming (the change in globally averaged temperature since 1850-1900) crossed the 1.0°C (1.8°F) mark, and is likely…

Media reporting of drought in the Northwest

Tracking media representation of the Northwest’s drought over the past water year Erica Fleishman Over the past 20 years, the incidence, extent, and severity of drought increased in both the western United States in general and the Northwest in particular compared with twentieth century averages. For example, from 2000 through 2020, an average of 37%…

Spokane Climate Project supports local and state climate initiatives

CIRC resources drive climate policy in Spokane Kara Odegard Much has happened since we last reported on the Spokane Climate Project. In 2018, CIRC partnered with members of the Spokane, Washington, community to help our region better understand the wide range of impacts that are expected as climate changes. CIRC assisted local Spokane stakeholders in…

Synchronous fires and fire danger challenge US capacity to respond

John Abatzoglou, Alison Cullen, and Susan Prichard The 2021 fire season has coincided with yet another hot, dry summer. As of 17 September, 2021, a total of 2.5 million acres (1.01 million ha) had burned in the Northwest (defined here as Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana), including the Bootleg fire in southern Oregon, which burned…

Water Year Update: March 2021

Hydrologist Bart Nijssen and climatologist John Abatzoglou report on the 2021 water year, and use the Climate Toolbox to tell the story Bart Nijssen and John Abatzoglou Daylight hours are increasing rapidly and the end of winter is in sight. So it is an ideal time to do a quick recap of the water year…