An unusually warm winter with minimal snowfall across South Dakota's Black Hills is devastating local businesses that depend on winter recreation, forcing widespread event cancellations and leaving workers without incomes. 

What's happening?

The Black Hills region had far less snow than usual between early December and mid-January, with multiple cities reporting precipitation levels among the lowest in over a century of record keeping. Some areas received only a fraction of their typical snowfall, per the Rapid City Journal. 

According to the National Weather Service office in Rapid City, the Rocky Mountains have extracted moisture from the air before it reaches South Dakota, resulting in mostly wind instead of snow. 

The warm conditions have forced organizers to cancel major winter attractions, including the Deadwood Snocross National, Spearfish's Chinook Days Winter Carnival, and portions of the Custer Burning Beetle festival. 

Braedon Petersen, who owns Mad Mountain Adventures snowmobile company, described looking at his unused fleet with frustration. He and his wife, Amy, are facing expenses with no bookings in sight and longtime customers calling to cancel annual trips. 

"I guess you could kind of say I'm out of a job," Petersen told the Journal.

Why is the lack of snowfall important?

Weather naturally varies from year to year — but scientists agree that human-driven warming is making extreme weather more common and severe, meaning prolonged dry spells and snow shortages. These conditions threaten communities and regional economies that rely on more predictable seasonal weather. 

Winter recreation businesses across the Black Hills are facing financial devastation from the lack of snow. The Deadwood Snocross National normally brings hundreds of racing teams and thousands of spectators to the region, generating revenue for restaurants, lodges, entertainment venues, and retailers. 

Beyond the financial and economic impacts, insufficient precipitation can also affect water availability in warmer months, threatening agriculture and municipal systems that depend on snowmelt for water supplies. 

What's being done about snow droughts?

While late winter and early spring usually deliver the heaviest precipitation to the region, the current shortfall highlights the need for communities to adapt to increasingly variable weather patterns.

Addressing the root causes of extreme weather means addressing the pollution that drives rising global temperatures. Exploring these critical issues affecting weather can help you learn more about meaningful, daily actions to take.

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