News | Washington State Climate Office

Aug 10, 2026 | Air Quality and Wildfire, August 2026 Newsletter, Climate Matters, Guest Author

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.

Climate Matters: What to expect from this year’s wildfire season in the Northwest

Introduction
Wildfire becomes a part of life across much of the western US this time of year, and the Pacific Northwest is no exception. The smell of smoke from fires burning hundreds of miles away or the news alerts of fires threatening nearby communities can dominate our daily routines.

Climate Matters: How much water is in Washington’s snowpack?

Snowpack is an important source of water for Washington. Reservoirs also help store water from snowmelt, releasing it as needed throughout the dry season. This year’s drought has renewed conversations about the amount of water in our snowpack and reservoirs, and just how much we can rely on each for meeting water demand in the future.