http://www.cses.washington.edu/cig/

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March 9, 2006
http//www.cses.washington.edu/cig/
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Snow Temperature Trends in the Northwest
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Trends in timing of spring snowmelt (1948-2000)
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50 YEAR HISTORY SNOW WATER EQUIVALENT APRIL 1
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Trends (1916-1997) in timing of peak snow
accumulation
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A warming of about 3 to 4.5 degrees F will result
in snowlines rising 1000 feet.
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Snow Model
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April 1 Average Snow Cover Extent MPI Model
Base Case
2025
2045
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Meltdown for European Skiing?
Les Sept Laux in mid-December 2001
The Austrian mountain resort of Kitzbuhel will
eventually be cut off from its ski slopes, the
U.N. Environment Program predicts.
U.N. Warming threatens ski resorts
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Keystones of the Torino Strategy Snow-making
machines can consume large quantities of water.
The construction of 20 new reservoirs holding
350,000 cubic meters of water had been originally
proposed. Now only nine new water storage
facilities, holding around 220,000 cubic meters,
have been built.
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Ski Resort Economics
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If a day is to be considered skiable, then it
must contain at least one favorable factor and no
unsuitable factors.
The Economic Impact of Climate Change on the
Mid-Atlantic Regions Downhill Skiing Industry,
Michigan Journal of Economics, Vol 17, 2001,
Matthew R. Balazik, Pennsylvania State University
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An important concept is snow reliability. In
Switzerland the reliability threshold is
assumed to be 7 out of 10 good winter seasons,
with a snow cover depth of 30-50 cm, for a
minimum 100 days between December 1 and April 15.
Currently, just 85 of Swiss ski resorts meet
this snow reliability test.
Many skiers would prefer to plan their skiing
activity and vacations with certainty, certainty
that may be absent if resorts rely on natural
snow, whilst consistency allows managers to fully
utilize lift, lodge, and snowmaking
infrastructure and staff throughout the season.
CLIMATE VARIABILITY AND CHANGE THE ECONOMIC
VULNERABILITY OF THE SKIING INDUSTRY AND
SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES IN ARIZONA, USA, Rosalind
H. Bark-Hodgins1 and Bonnie G. Colby University
of Arizona, Working Paper, 2005
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• Ski areas profits or losses are determined by
  New Years Day
• Thanksgiving weekend can make or break a season

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Impact on Idaho Ski Areas
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Idaho Ski Areas
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The Economics of Mitigation
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Snow Making Percents Selected Ski Areas
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The Economics of Snow Making

• 139,322 gallons of water for an acre foot of
  snow
• A typical run 3 acre feet of water for one
  foot of snow
• A typical run requires 55 tanker loads for one
  foot of snow

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• With humidity at 20 temperature can be as high
  as 37o F to make snow
• The dryer the better -- night time temperatures
  are critical

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• Capital costs vary between 10,000 and 20,000
  per acre to be covered
• OM costs can be as much as 25 of total
  operating costs

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• Water availability is the key factor in an
  areas ability to make snow

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Adaptive Strategies
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Climate Change - Impacts on the Tourism Industry
in Mountain Areas Rolf Bürki, Hans Elsasser,
Bruno Abegg, 1st International Conference on
Climate Change and Tourism, Djerba, 9-11 April
2003
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Not All Ski Areas Are Convinced
The warmer winter temperatures projected by the
climate models mean ski resorts would open later
and closer earlier. Bogus Basin has experienced
these conditions the past three seasons.
Temperatures at Bogus have averaged 15 to 20
degrees above normal during that time, said Mike
Shirley, Bogus Basin general manager. "We've had
three very tough winters in a row," Shirley said.
"We haven't had that at any previous time." "I'm
not prepared to admit this is a pattern that's
going to continue," Shirley said. "Color me
skeptical." The Idaho Statesman, May 15, 2005
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When Jean-Pierre Boespflug invites you to tour
the first U.S. destination ski resort built from
scratch in more than two decades, it helps to
pack your imagination.
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Ski Areas Are Becoming Active In Global Warming
Issues
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TANSTAAFL
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Navajo battle ski resort over sacred
mountain Judge denies claim that wastewater for
snowmaking is desecration
Thursday January 12, 2006
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Spare a thought for the hibernating Mountain
Pygmy-possums roused from their annual deep sleep
under the snow by snowmaking and slope grooming
overhead. The unexpected wakeup call increases
the mouse-sized animal's energy needs at a time
when they are snowed under and their energy
levels are low.
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Machine-grading causes particularly severe and
lasting impacts on alpine vegetation, which are
mitigated neither by time nor by revegetation
measures. The impacts of artificial snow increase
with the period of time since it was first
applied to ski piste vegetation. Extensive
machine-grading and snow production should be
avoided, especially in areas where nutrient and
water input are a concern. Ski pistes should not
be established in areas where the alpine
vegetation has a high conservation value.
Effects of ski piste preparation on alpine
vegetation, SONJA WIPF, CHRISTIAN RIXEN,
MARKUS FISCHER, BERNHARD SCHMID and VERONIKA
STOECKLI, Journal of Applied Ecology 2005 42 ,
306316
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However, due to the greater snow mass, the
beginning of the snow-free season was delayed by
more than 2 wk. Average winter ground
temperatures under a continuous snow cover were
decreased by approximately 1C on both piste
types compared with off-piste control plots. The
results suggest that the heat balance of alpine
soils is changed by both piste types, either by
an extensive heat loss on pistes with natural
snow or by prolonged snow cover on pistes with
artificial snow.
Ground Temperatures under Ski Pistes with
Artificial and Natural Snow Journal Arctic,
Antarctic, and Alpine Research Volume 36 Issue
4 Pages 419-427 Rixen, Christian,
Haeberli, Wilfried, Stoeckli, Veronika
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