A report released last week confirms that Oregon is already experiencing significant impacts from climate change. According to the Oregon Climate Change Research Institute at Oregon State, Oregon’s warmer temperatures, increased forest fires and a shift in seasons is resulting in lower snowpack and summer stream flows. Scientists are projecting that if we don’t take dramatic steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, annual precipitation will change significantly, falling as rain instead of snow. Heavy rainfall could cause more landslides, transportation closures and slope instability.

Climate change already impacting Oregon.