Climate Matters: A Wildfire Note From WA DNR

Last fall, I stood on a hillside east of White Salmon overlooking the Columbia River Gorge.
Below me was the burn scar from the Burdoin Fire, an 11,000-acre wildfire that had swept through the Gorge just months earlier, destroying 45 structures and threatening hundreds more. 

Early August Climate Outlook

Key Messages:

El Niño continued to intensify in the tropical Pacific this month. 

Odds of a very strong El Niño event by this fall have increased since the last ENSO strength forecast from NOAA. 

August 2026 Drought and Streamflow Update

Key Messages: 

Streamflows in mountain basins continue to run below to extremely below normal due to poor snowpack and dry summer conditions. 

Water supply forecasts have remained relatively unchanged, with continued expectations of well below normal summer water supply for all major rivers besides the Columbia.  

July 2026 Climate Summary

Key Messages: 

Statewide temperatures were above normal, marking the 9th consecutive month with above normal statewide temperatures. 

Temperatures were +2-4°F above normal across the eastern slopes of the Cascades and across much of eastern Washington.