US ski resorts battle worsening crisis as winter season begins: 'Really rough start'

December is a month most would assume correlates with busy ski resorts, but resorts across the Southwest struggled to open because of poor seasonal conditions. 

What's happening?

The Daily Herald reported that the Sundance Mountain Resort, just outside of Salt Lake City, is battling against an acute lack of snowfall. Similarly, snowpack is far below median levels and part of a long-term downward trend, per Utah State University. 

Most ski resorts haven't relied wholly on natural snowfall for decades. Most of that snow is artificially made by snow guns, but even then, they require the right environmental conditions to function. The machines inject pressurized cold air to freeze a water stream in midair, but they simply won't work if it isn't cold enough. It's a very labor-intensive and time-consuming process that used to be done all at once. Now, resorts like Sundance are resorting to multiple rounds of snowmaking. 

Jordan Clayton, data collection officer at the Natural Resources Conservation Service, said snowpack was "about 3 inches behind where we want to be," per the Herald.

Why is a lack of snowpack concerning?

As Clayton acknowledged, "resorts are having a really rough start to their year." 

Ski resorts across the nation and worldwide are struggling with ever-worsening conditions. It's a direct result of human activity; burning fuels like oil and gas contribute to a warming atmosphere and increasing instances of unusual and extreme weather events. 

Snowpack is much more than an important reserve for skiing; it's a vital freshwater source during warmer, drier months. A lack of snowfall in the winter is felt year-round. 

What can ski resorts do about it?

The resort's trouble with a lack of snowfall is just one part of the wider issue that's important to stay up to date with. 

For ski resorts specifically, it's a matter of doing more with less. One method is to farm snow and store it for later use. At the end of the season, snow is gathered and placed under an insulating cover to conserve for the next season. It may also be necessary to push the season back a few weeks, but whatever short-term adaptation is taken, reducing that harmful carbon pollution is paramount.

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