Can a ski surround the world? – KPRC Click2Houston

Although this photo can suggest another, many ski resorts across the country see less snow in winter.

I grew up in Albukerke, New Mexico, and learned to ski at the high school ski club. The club was about getting on a bus early Saturday morning at school with all my friends and going to various resorts throughout the state and Colorado. I have so many great memories of that time. Quickly forward to today, I still love skiing! The photo below is me and my children riding the Santa Fe Express ski lift. ⛷

Time is all when it comes to skiing. When planning a trip, you always hope for this sweet place, not too cold or icy and most importantly – a lot of snow in the resort. Honestly, if this is snowing the day before you arrive, it’s like hitting the jackpot.

Last week I was very lucky with my time. Santa Fe’s ski area had not seen much snow since early November, and snow machines were the only thing that holds the open runways. But on the day, before we hit the slopes, a winter storm warning rolled and snow began overnight. By the time we showed up in the morning, there was fresh dust over our feet and he was still coming down! It was the view of our first ride on the elevator.

The snowfall models are shifting in the United States as our climate warms up. According to Climate Central, winter is the fastest warming season for most of the country, which means less snow in many places.

In fact, nearly two-thirds of places (64%) see less snow than in the early 1970s. And it’s not just about how much snow falls, but also when, where and how fast it melts in the spring. Climate changes change all this in ways that are anything but simple.

Santa Fe’s ski area was an average of about 280 inches of snow a year. Nowadays, this has dropped to about 200 inches, which is 6 to 7 feet less snow every season! Even in their best in recent years, they have only succeeded in about 250 inches.

I talked to Tommy Long, the Santa Fe Ski Operations Manager, and he mentioned that it was not just a common snowfall, but about the time, which also changed. Recently, the worst snow has come in March, just before the resort closes for the season.

Concerns for the Winter Olympics:

If you are a skier, try talking to the staff at your resort – I bet you will hear similar stories for less snow throughout the season or extreme quantities at a time when it makes snow. These models not only affect daily skis; They also raise big questions about the future of events such as the Winter Olympics.

According to Climate Central, February temperatures in the 19th cities, which hosted the 1950 Winter Olympics, warmed an average of 4.8 °. Beijing, who hosted the 2022 Winter Olympics, warmed up nearly 9 ° during that time.

And it gets even more concerned. A recent study from the University of Waterloo found that in high-emission scenario, almost all previous cities of the hosts of the winter games in the winter would not be able to provide safe and fair conditions for outdoor sports sports by the 2080s.

Great thanks to Eric Thompson, director of the Santa Fe ski area marketing, who filmed the video of this big snowy day. Here’s his video along with my story: