[ad_1]
Partly due to climate change, artificial snow is changing the way that athletes around the world (and at Bates!) ski. Here: Marat Washburn ‘25 in an alpine skiing race.
Climate change is bringing challenges to the skiing industry both locally and at larger events — even at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. Experts believe that ski resorts are increasingly dependent on artificial snowmaking to make it through the season.
“All the resorts that I’ve worked for have barely kept up with the demands of New England weather,” said Ethan Baker, a sophomore from Jackson, New Hampshire. Baker is a New England skier who has been working as a ski patroller over the past six years.
He currently patrols Sunday River in Newry. “The unpredictable nature of long-term weather patterns over the past decade have created more challenges to an industry where it’s already difficult to turn a profit,” he said.
Sunday River, just over an hour drive from Bates, claims to have “the world’s largest high-pressure snowmaking system”The state has spent millions on new snowmaking equipment. These systems are necessary to maintain safe skiing conditions in unpredictable weather patterns. However, they can also be detrimental to the state’s resorts.
“At the height of snowmaking operations in December and early January, the entire Central Maine Power grid gets affected,” Baker said. “And because ski areas can’t rely on solely natural snow to operate, the economic viability of skiing is in question.”
Kurt Simard is the head coach of the Alpine Ski Team. He explained that snowmaking systems result in higher lift prices because resorts have to pay more.
Simard said man-made snow is masking the impacts of climate change on the slopes: “The ski seasons in New England have become longer with better conditions than say 20 years ago. This is due to the improvement and efficiency of snowmaking technology, despite climate change.”
Ryan Gordon, a hydrogeologist for the Maine Geological Survey, said Maine’s winter season has been changing quickly due to climate change.
“Since I was a child growing up in Orono in the early ‘90s, average winter temperatures have been warming at about twice the rate of average summer temperatures,” he said.
He explained that although Maine has had more precipitation in recent decades, it is also recording more rain than snow. This creates more icy conditions. A bonus is that melting is occurring earlier in the spring.
Gordon spoke out about the impact these patterns have on the ski season, especially in backcountry areas and smaller mountains.
“The changes in Maine’s winter season will have negative ramifications for ski culture in our region, especially away from the large ski resorts that can mass-produce their own snow,” he said.
These issues have been faced by ski mountains since the late 20th-century. However, artificial snow has been the focus of recent headlines due to its critical role in the 2022 Winter Olympics.
An article to The New York TimessThe Winter Olympics snow was completely man-made for the first time, with snowmaking operations starting as early as November 2021. The Winter Games are being criticized for their use of energy and other resources to produce snow. The International Olympic Committee estimates that snowmaking operations will consume almost 50 million gallons water.
This is especially dangerous in Beijing, which has seen record-breaking droughts in recent years.
Man-made snow is not only an economic and environmental problem, but it also poses a safety risk. According to a PBS article. Most winter athletes can tell the difference between artificial snow and natural snow. The article explained that natural snow falls from the skies with snowflakes forming in the hexagonal snowflake shape, but man-made snow is made up of individual drops of frozen water. This gives it a harder, more icy feel for athletes.
Although man-made snow can make it easier to ski and snowboard, it can also make it more dangerous. Simard stated that the ideal snow conditions are a mixture of natural and artificial snow.
“Artificial snowmaking tends to be more dry and dense, almost like chalk dust,” he said. “Generally the best is a groomed mixture of both natural and snowmaking. When you mix in some wet snow and then it freezes, it’s best for racing.”
Artificial snow can provide conditions that are ideal for ski racers in Bates and beyond. Simard stated however that he has observed more inconveniences due to climate change, such as adverse conditions and high winds that cause chairlift hold-ups on the mountain.
Man-made snow provides consistent conditions for both recreational and competitive skiers. However it perpetuates the idea we can ignore climate change by using technological solutions that create our ideal climate. This often results in a positive feedback loop.
Both Baker and Gordon stressed the importance of climate action in order to save skiing around the world and in New England. They suggested that by limiting fossil fuel consumption and supporting legislation to combat climate change, we could save snowy winters and allow the ski industry to continue to thrive.
