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Sweeping valley hills are blanketed by orange vegetation, which is reflected in the pale orange sky above.

New Oregon climate assessment documents continued warming and signs of adaptation

By Michelle Klampe

Oregon is becoming warmer and more prone to drought and will see less snow due to climate change, but people and businesses are also adapting to the challenges of a warming planet, the latest Oregon Climate Assessment indicates.

The College of Science's Associate Professor Sarah Henkel collaborated on the assessment, released by the Oregon Climate Change Research Institute at Oregon State University. It showed that the state's annual average temperature increased by 2.2 degrees Fahrenheit over the last century and is likely to become as much as 5 degrees Fahrenheit warmer by 2074.

Oregon’s precipitation was below average for 18 of the last 24 water years. A water year is the period that hydrologists use to measure precipitation totals. And the state is likely to see significant changes in precipitation type in the future, with snowfall projected to decrease by as much as 50% by 2100, and more precipitation falling as rain.

The 300-page assessment, now in its seventh iteration, provides policymakers and the public with an overview of Oregon-related climate change science and the opportunities and risks that climate change poses to the state’s natural and human systems.

“Knowledge of the biological, physical and social impacts of climate change better informs society’s decisions about how to respond,” said Erica Fleishman, director of the Oregon Climate Change Research Institute, which produces the biennial assessment. “The assessment, which is mandated by state law, underscores that understanding, mitigating and preparing for climate change is a priority for the state of Oregon.”

Read more here.