If you have been enjoying skiing or snowboarding on the beautifully snow-covered mountains this winter, you may soon find that this experience is becoming a distant memory. A recent study has revealed that the consistently abundant snow we have experienced in the past has now come to an end due to the effects of the climate crisis.

According to recent research, the United States ski industry has suffered a loss of over $5 billion in the last twenty years as a result of man-made climate change. This is attributed to the declining amount of snowfall on mountain ranges. Studies have indicated that higher temperatures are causing precipitation to fall as rain rather than snow in many areas.

According to a recent study, the average ski season in the US has been reduced by five to seven days in the past 50 years. This has resulted in a yearly loss of $252 million for the industry due to lower revenue and increased expenses for making snow with machines.

Daniel Scott, a researcher at the University of Waterloo in Canada, stated that the time of peak ski seasons has likely passed. Scott collaborated with colleagues from the University of Innsbruck for this study. He also noted that the ski industry and tourism sector are now facing the impacts of climate change.

Unusually warm winters for parts of the US, as well as ski resorts in Europe, have illustrated the mounting problems facing the pastime. Mountains across France, Austria and Bosnia have been left almost entirely bare of snow, forcing ski lifts to judder to a halt and resorts to shutter.

In the United States, sites located in the western region have reported a snowpack that is less than half of the usual amount, leading resorts to either increase artificial snow-making efforts or reduce their services for skiers.

View the image in full screen.

“The record-breaking temperatures this winter provided a preview of the future,” Scott said. “It tested the limits of snowmaking in many areas and altered millions of skiers’ ski visits and destination choices.”

In 2020, it was reported that it was the warmest year ever recorded globally. This trend is continuing in 2024, with record-breaking levels of heat in January and February. The absence of a typical winter has been apparent in various areas, particularly in the mountains. Not only is this affecting winter sports, but it is also endangering a vital water source as melting snow normally feeds rivers and streams during the spring season.

A recent study has found that ski seasons are gradually shortening, as seen when comparing winters from the 1960s and 1970s to those since 2000. This decline is expected to persist as the Earth continues to warm from the burning of fossil fuels. In fact, ski seasons may decrease by 14 to 33 days by the 2050s, despite efforts to reduce emissions and develop more efficient snow-making techniques.

If global emissions are not reduced, the future looks grim, as projected by the study. By the middle of the century, there could be a loss of up to two months of suitable ski conditions if this happens.

Scott explained that the average ski seasons in all regional markets in the US are expected to become shorter in the next few decades regardless of emission levels.

The extent of the decrease varies based on the extent to which each country fulfills their promises to reduce emissions in accordance with the Paris climate agreement, and if the rise in global temperatures can be kept below 2C (3.6F).

Source: theguardian.com