Climate Adaptation Resources for Washington (CAR-Wash)

Climate change will have profound impacts on sectors, communities and natural resources across Washington state. As a state agency employee, you play an important role in helping our state prepare for climate change impacts.

Climate Adaptation Resources for Washington (CAR-Wash) is a curated list of adaptation resources. Click each heading below to learn more.

This webpage is a work-in-progress. We will continue to update it with more resources based on your feedback and future work.

Introduction

Climate Impacts on Water

Climate change will alter patterns of snowfall, rain and snowmelt, shifting how our region receives and stores water. These changes will have an impact on every aspect of life in the Northwest, from forests to farms, ski areas to cities.

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Climate Impacts on Forests

As the climate warms, forests across the Northwest will experience increased disturbances from wildfire, drought and disease. Parts of the region that historically were habitat for certain tree species will no longer be suitable for these species as the temperatures warm.

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Climate Impacts on Coasts and Oceans

Due to the burning of fossil fuels, sea levels are rising and the ocean is warming and acidifying. These changes threaten Pacific Northwest coastal property and infrastructure, fishing and recreation, communities and wildlife.

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Climate Impacts on Fish, Wildlife and Ecosystems

Climate change is causing warmer average temperatures and declining snow in the mountains. As a result, Pacific Northwest landscapes and habitats are changing and affecting the plants, animals and humans who rely on them.

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Climate Impacts on Human Health and Society

Climate change stands to have profound effects on individuals and their communities. Warmer temperatures and changes in patterns of precipitation and snowmelt, among other climate impacts, will affect human health, the built environment, recreation and other facets of society.

Learn more

Introduction to Climate Adaptation

This webpage on climate adaptation provides an overview of what it means to adapt, why it’s important and the Climate Impacts Group’s role in supporting adaptation.

View webpage

Webinar: Climate Impacts in Washington State

This 90-minute webinar provides an accessible overview of climate change in Washington state. It dives into climate trends, projected future changes, climate-related natural hazards, and impacts to people, infrastructure and natural systems.

Watch webinar

Synthesis Reports

BIOPHYSICAL CLIMATE RISKS AND ECONOMIC IMPACTS FOR WASHINGTON STATE
	This project supports the Office of the Governor, Washington State agencies and some local jurisdictions in addressing climate resilience by providing an updated climate risk assessment designed to inform future updates to the statewide climate resilience strategy. Developed alongside the Washington State University IMPACT Center, the assessment compiles information on the biophysical and economic impacts of climate change. READ THE REPORT
FIFTH NATIONAL CLIMATE ASSESSMENT: NORTHWEST CHAPTER
	The Northwest section of the Fifth National Climate Assessment, published in 2023, is the latest synthesis of climate impacts in our region. READ THE REPORT
STATE OF KNOWLEDGE: CLIMATE CHANGE IN PUGET SOUND
	State of Knowledge: Climate Change in Puget Sound is a comprehensive report summarizing research on the likely effects of climate change on the lands, water and people of the Puget Sound region. Presented in an easy-to-read format, it is designed to serve as a reference for individuals from a wide range of backgrounds who are interested in the state of the science on climate change and its effects within the Puget Sound region. The report also describes local climate change risk reduction activities and highlights data resources available to support local climate adaptation efforts. READ THE REPORT
STATE OF KNOWLEDGE: CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS AND ADAPTATION IN WASHINGTON STATE
	Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation in Washington State: Technical Summaries for Decision Makers summarizes existing knowledge about the likely effects of climate change on Washington State and the Pacific Northwest with an emphasis on research since 2007. The report also provides examples of climate change adaptation activities underway across the state and data resources available to support local adaptation efforts. READ THE REPORT

Data and Tools

Recommended Datasets and Tools

PACIFIC NORTHWEST TEMPERATURE, PRECIPITATION AND SNOW WATER EQUIVALENT TREND ANALYSIS TOOL

For analyzing historical climate trends, check out The Pacific Northwest Temperature, Precipitation and Snow Water Equivalent Trend Analysis Tool. Developed by the Office of the Washington State Climatologist, this tool:

Includes historical temperature and precipitation and data for Idaho, Oregon, Washington and parts of Montana from 1874-present.
Includes snow water equivalent data for Washington from 1930-present.
Shows data at a station-level.
Includes the option to create and download a graph from the tool.

USE THE TOOL

CLIMATE MAPPING FOR A RESILIENT WASHINGTON

For future projections of climate impacts, the Climate Mapping for a Resilient Washington is (almost) a one-stop shop. This mapping tool:

Includes projections of precipitation and temperature, drought, sea level rise, wildfire, snowpack and streamflow.
Shows these changes at the state-level and as summaries at the county-level.
Shows changes at multiple time periods and for multiple climate scenarios through the next century.
Includes the option to download a figure or map data.
Can be used for developing vulnerability assessments and adaptation plans, and informing grant applications and communications efforts.

USE THE TOOL

COLUMBIA RIVER CLIMATE DATA MAP

For historical and future projections of streamflow on the Columbia River, check out the Columbia River Climate Data Map. This data:

Includes data points for nearly 400 locations across Washington, Oregon and Idaho, as well as parts of British Columbia, Montana and Wyoming.
Includes daily time steps for four different hydrologic models
Shows projections for 1950-2100 for two different future climate scenarios (RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5).

ACCESS THE DATA

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Collections of Datasets and Tools

CLIMATE TOOLBOX
The Climate Toolbox has a collection of web tools for visualizing past and projected climate and hydrology of the contiguous United States. ACCESS THE TOOLBOX
US CLIMATE RESILIENCE TOOLKIT
The US Climate Resilience Toolkit covers a wide range of topics, such as identifying the most vulnerable communities, managing stormwater, assessing climate and health and more. This link is pre-filtered for Northwest resources related to exposure. ACCESS THE TOOLKIT
CLIMATE IMPACTS GROUP DATASETS
The Climate Impacts Group Data Page includes eight datasets, mostly hydroclimate projections, spanning the Northwest and Washington state. VIEW ALL DATASETS

Guidance

MEASURING RESILIENCE IN SUPPORT OF EFFECTIVE INVESTMENT IN CLIMATE ADAPTATION
	The Washington state legislature requested that the Climate Impacts Group “examine existing best practices and new methods that could be used to measure and evaluate climate change resilience for the purpose of better understanding and tracking how investments made in climate change resilience translate into outcomes”. In response, this report describes “best practices” to measure climate resilience in support of effective adaptation. It was developed in collaboration with the Department of Ecology and the interagency team updating Washington’s climate resilience strategy. READ THE REPORT
PREPARING FOR CLIMATE CHANGE: A GUIDEBOOK FOR LOCAL, REGIONAL AND STATE GOVERNMENTS
	Preparing for Climate Change: A Guidebook for Local, Regional, and State Governments is designed to help local, regional, and state governments prepare for climate change by recommending a detailed, easy-to-understand process for climate change preparedness based on familiar resources and tools. READ THE GUIDE
INTRODUCTION TO CLIMATE VULNERABILITY
	This guide provides a more detailed overview of the three factors of climate vulnerability — sensitivity, exposure and adaptive capacity. Though originally written for floodplain management, the concepts are relevant for any sector. The section on climate vulnerability starts on page five and ends on page 13. READ THE GUIDE
GUIDANCE FOR SELECTING CLIMATE CHANGE SCENARIOS
	Choosing and Using Climate-Change Scenarios for Ecological-Impact Assessments and Conservation Decisions is a technical journal article that provides guidelines for selecting climate-change scenarios for ecological impact assessment. READ THE GUIDANCE
EXAMPLE OF A RAPID VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT
	In 2017, the Climate Impacts Group supported the Puget Sound Partnership in developing a “rapid vulnerability assessment” to support climate adaptation planning. A description of this rapid, more informal assessment process can be found on pages 7-10 of the assessment. READ THE ASSESSMENT
GUIDANCE FOR A FORMAL VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT
	If you are looking to conduct a more formal, thorough vulnerability assessment process, the U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit is a great resource to help walk you through this process. VIEW THE TOOLKIT

Tip: Choosing, Using and Dealing with Uncertainty

To analyze projections of future climate impacts (whether with Climate Mapping for a Resilient Washington or another tool or dataset), you will have to select a greenhouse gas scenario and a timeframe. The user guide for Climate Mapping for a Resilient Washington provides step-by-step guidance for using the tool, as well as selecting a timeframe and a greenhouse gas scenario (see page four).

When using other tools or datasets, you may need to make decisions about the kinds of models you want to use and how to manage uncertainty in projections. This introductory guide to sensitivity and exposure provides insights into these questions and more. The discussion of managing uncertainty starts on page six and ends on page 10.

Case Studies

Recommended Case Studies

An Integrated Plan for Water and Long-Term Ecological Resilience

From the US Climate Resilience Toolkit, this case study highlights how “federal, state, tribal and local partners in Washington’s Yakima River Basin developed a comprehensive plan to meet their diverse needs for water into the future.”

Read the case study

Beyond Barriers to Implementation: A Water Sector Perspective on Sea Level Rise Adaptation

From the Water Utility Climate Alliance, this case study outlines ways to respond to technical, financial, governance and social/cultural barriers to sea level rise planning.

Read the case study

The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community Prepares for Climate Change Impacts

From the US Climate Resilience Toolkit, this case study highlights how the Swinomish Indian Tribe is preparing for sea level rise, changes to marine ecosystems and more.

Photo credit Johnny Armstrong

Read the case study

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Resources for Additional Case Studies

THE WATER UTILITY CLIMATE ALLIANCE

The Water Utility Climate Alliance (WUCA) has a wealth of case studies related to engineering, heat impacts and stormwater and wastewater, as well as adaptation best practices that are relevant across sectors.

WUCA WEBSITE

GEORGETOWN ADAPTATION CLEARINGHOUSE

The Georgetown Adaptation Clearinghouse is specifically designed for policymakers. The thousands of available case studies can be filtered by State, sector, jurisdictional focus and more. The link below has been pre-filtered to show case studies from Washington state with a jurisdictional scope.

CLEARINGHOUSE

CLIMATE ADAPTATION KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE

The Climate Adaptation Knowledge Exchange has hundreds of case studies in a database that can be filtered by sector, climate impact, region and more. The link below has been pre-filtered to state-level case studies in the Northwest.

KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE

U.S. CLIMATE RESILIENCE TOOLKIT

The U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit also has hundreds of case studies in a database that can be filtered by topic, stressor, adaptation phase and region.

TOOLKIT

Help Desk and Peer Networks

Climate Impacts Group Help Desk

Have a question about how to select or interpret climate data, or want to discuss adaptation best practices? Reach out to the Climate Impacts Group Help Desk with the subject line: “State Agency Support.”

HELP DESK

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Washington State

MUNICIPAL RESEARCH AND SERVICES CENTER

The Municipal Research and Services Center is a non-profit providing legal and policy guidance for local governments. They provide services to state agencies, special purpose districts and counties as well as municipalities. Check out their webpage on climate impact preparedness, adaptation and resilience, or reach out to their team of attorneys and legal specialists through the Ask MRSC form.

MUNICIPAL CENTER

WASHINGTON’S CLIMATE RESILIENCE STRATEGY

Washington Department of Ecology is working to update the state’s Climate Response Strategy. Learn more about this process and stay updated on their progress via their website.

WASHINGTON CLIMATE STRATEGY

WASHINGTON COASTAL HAZARDS RESILIENCE NETWORK

The Washington Coastal Hazards Resilience Network is a community of practice for people working on Washington’s coasts. They facilitate knowledge exchange and partnership through their network of more than 75 practitioners, as well as regular events.

RESILIENCE NETWORK

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Pacific Northwest and Beyond

OREGON CLIMATE CHANGE RESEARCH INSTITUTE

The Oregon Climate Change Research Institute conducts research on climate change and climate impacts in Oregon, serves as a clearinghouse for climate change information, and more.

OREGON INSTITUTE

PACIFIC CLIMATE IMPACTS CONSORTIUM

The Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium provides information on the impacts of climate change and variability in the Pacific and Yukon Region of Canada.

PACIFIC CONSORTIUM

US DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE NORTHWEST CLIMATE HUB

The US Department of Agriculture Northwest Climate Hub provides climate services to Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington focusing on food, agriculture, natural resources and related issues.

USDA NORTHWEST HUB

NORTHWEST CLIMATE ADAPTATION SCIENCE CENTER

The Northwest Climate Adaptation Science Center produces useful and accessible climate research on climate change impacts in Idaho, Oregon and Washington. Their focus is on natural and cultural resources.

NW CASC

NORTHWEST CLIMATE RESILIENCE COLLABORATIVE

The Northwest Climate Resilience Collaborative partners with frontline communities to support climate resilience building efforts in Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.

NCRC