As winter approaches and ski resorts prepare to open for business, several resorts in the Northeast are facing some tough questions.

What's happening?

The New Hampshire Bulletin reported that, due to ongoing drought and warmer winters, ski resorts across the Granite State fear they won't have sufficient snow cover for the season. 

Since the 1960s, most of the snow at the resorts hasn't actually come from Mother Nature but from the barrels of snow guns. These specialized machines inject pressurized cold air into a water stream, which freezes midair, and voila, freshly made snow covers the range. 

This time and labor-intensive process used to be done in one fell swoop, but neither the water supply nor sufficiently cold weather is reliably available in these conditions. 

Consequently, the facilities must resort to spreading snowmaking out across the season. Although the efficiency of snow guns has improved, they simply don't work if it isn't cold enough. 

"You know, at 32 degrees (Fahrenheit), there's not much technology that's going to help you make snow if things aren't freezing," explained David Ulbrich, mountain operations director at a resort in Gilford. 

Why is a lack of mountain snow cover concerning?

New Hampshire's ski resorts are far from the only ones feeling the heat. 

Slopes in Australia, France, Italy, and New Zealand are all struggling to adapt to new conditions caused by the harmful pollution from dirty energy. 

An absence of snow in the mountains isn't just unfortunate for skiers; it also has broader environmental implications. For example, snowpack is a crucial freshwater source for the summer months in multiple states. 

A dearth of winter snow threatens agriculture, exacerbates droughts, and heightens wildfire risk. Insufficient snowfall can also harm wildlife and disrupt spring fish spawning. 

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What's being done about the lack of snowfall?

Resorts in New Hampshire are considering local adaptations to address changing conditions and volatile weather. 

One approach is "snow farming," an old method in which large quantities of snow are kept under wraps, quite literally, for later use. 

Another option is to reconsider the season's timing, moving it back a few weeks so that conditions are more likely to be favorable. 

Irrespective of these short-term measures, a long-term goal is to raise awareness about the issue and pivot toward clean energy sources. 

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