US ski resorts devastated as worsening crisis impacts business: 'It's been really slow'

The second week of January brought hope of a snowstorm for Santa Fe, New Mexico, businesses.

What's happening?

Ski resorts and winter sports shops were struggling because of high temperatures and a lack of snow, KOAT reported.

Bluebird Mountain Sports assistant manager Wanonce Rakestraw said: "Usually, our season extends out to the first week of April. Past seasons used to be second week of April. But now, if it keeps going the way it is, we're looking last week of March, if not mid of March."

The warmer weather highlights a worldwide trend in which temperatures have drastically risen because of humans' burning of fossil fuels such as coal and gas. In the United States and elsewhere, this change varies by region, but winter temperatures in the continental U.S. have climbed 3 degrees since the preindustrial era, according to The Climate Reality Project.

In the Southwest, that means drier winters that increase drought risks. In addition to the impact on businesses and economies, this "season creep" is stressing agriculture and ecosystems.

Why is this important?

Farmers rely on snowmelt to irrigate crops in spring, while plants and animals have evolved to rely on seasonal cues for survival instincts that include reproduction. People similarly have built their lives around the rhythms of Earth.

"It's been really slow," Rakestraw told KOAT. "When places lose business, you lose people, employees. You close early."

Ski Santa Fe general manager Ben Abruzzo said his business was using snowmaking machines to remain open. Others have not been so lucky. In France, hundreds of ski resorts shut their doors, and some in the western U.S. couldn't open as usual because of a lack of snow. Excessive snowfall in the Northeast and Midwest underscored the variability.

Warmer weather can also mean more rain, which may create flooding issues.

What's being done about the lack of snowfall?

While some ski resorts may be able to supplement low snowfall, they cannot stay afloat without more of the white stuff. Adapting to new weather patterns should be one priority, while investing in infrastructure and planning upgrades should be another.

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