Effects of Past and Future Climate Change on Ski Areas

TitleEffects of Past and Future Climate Change on Ski Areas
Publication TypeConference Proceedings
Year of Conference2007
AuthorsMote, P. W., Casson J., Hamlet A. F., and Reading D.
Conference Name75th Annual Western Snow Conference
Series TitleProceedings of the 75th Annual Western Snow Conference
Date PublishedApril 2007
PublisherWestern Snow Conference
Conference LocationKailua-Kona, HI
KeywordsSnow course, ski areas, temperature, snow depth, climate change
Abstract

We examine USDA snow course data for ski areas during the ski season to determine the degree to which midwinter snow is statistically sensitive to temperature. For most of the 16 Northwest ski areas analyzed here, a reasonably strong negative partial correlation of mid-season snow depth with antecedent temperature indicates that further warming will have an impact on the quantity of snow. The effects of these physical changes on the profitability of a given ski area will depend in part on the adaptive capacity of the ski area.

URLsites/westernsnowconference.org/PDFs/2007Mote.pdf