Pacific Northwest DEWS Drought & Climate Outlook Webinar: August 23, 2021

Introduction

Speaker: Britt Parker | NOAA/National Integrated Drought Information System, Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences

Climate Recap and Current Conditions

Speaker: Nick Bond | Office of the Washington State Climatologist

• For much of the Pacific Northwest, this summer is going into the record books.
• Precipitation totals since late winter have been extremely low in eastern Washington, northeastern Oregon, and northern Idaho.
• The summer of 2021 in the Pacific Northwest so far has featured much warmer than normal temperatures, especially east of the Cascade Mountain crest across northern Idaho.
• Much of the Pacific Northwest is experiencing exceptional drought (D4) conditions.

Drought and Outlook

Speaker: Robin Fox | National Weather Service, Spokane Weather Forecast Office

• Dry and somewhat seasonal Labor Day Weekend outlook.
• Favoring a dry and mild September, then trending to more seasonal conditions through the fall months.
• Elevated wildfire potential through September.
• Drought persists with extreme (D3) to exceptional (D4) drought in the interior areas.
• La Niña Watch for late fall into winter.
• Drought impacts on agriculture and wildfires.

FireEarth: Understanding What Makes People Vulnerable to Wildfire

Speakers: Sonia Hall and Alex Kirckpatrick | Washington State University

• FireEarth aims to improve our understanding of how people are vulnerable to wildfire across the Pacific Northwest so that communities can build resilience to future wildfire disasters.
• Fire is a natural part of Northwest ecosystems. Vulnerability addresses how prepared communities are when a wildfire inevitably occurs, and what resources they have to recover afterwards.
• Resilient communities are those that prepare for wildfires through education, planning, and action, and are able to minimize long-term negative outcomes for residents and businesses. Knowing our vulnerabilities and becoming more resilient can reduce the potential for disasters.
• Research results include peer-reviewed publications, outreach, co-production at demonstration watersheds, science briefs, communication best practices, and story map.
• Explore more.