March 29, 2022
By Alexis Goula
Staff Writer
If you have been noticing warmer winters and less snow, you are not alone. Winter weather is starting later and ending sooner due to global warming.
A 2017 study funded by the Environmental Protection Agency and published in the Global Environmental Change journal found that nearly all ski areas in the United States are projected to have at least a 50% shorter season by 2050. By 2090, it is projected that winter is going to be shorter by 80%.
Science teacher Ms. Manzella has never been skiing but said she recognizes the impact climate change has had on snowfall.
“Things are going to be happening throughout a human lifespan,” Mazella said. “[Concerns about climate are] not going to change anytime soon.”
Global temperatures are expected to rise 2-3 degrees celsius by 2200-2300 AD. Then, there will be a cooling phase that is expected to last 100,000 years.
“It is not just going to bounce back,” Mazella said.
Senior Claudia Lapinski, who loves skiing and has been participating in the sport since 2015, said she is concerned about the impacts of climate change.
“Climate change has lasting effects on the slopes, and I do not see it not being a problem any time soon,” Lapinski said.
She has skied in-state at Mountain Creek in Vernon and has traveled out-of-state to ski at Big Bear in Lackawaxen, Pennsylvania and Whiteface Mountain in Lake Placid, New York.
The amount of snow in the western region of the United States has dropped an average of 41% since the early 1980s, and the snow season has shortened by 34 days.
From Delaware to Maine, the coastal Northeast is heating up more quickly than most regions of North America. Not only are the winters in the Northeast getting warmer, but summer arrives rapidly.
China and the International Olympic Committee prepared for the 2022 Winter Games with the expectation that they would need to rely 100% on artificial snow. To create enough snow for winter events, there were over 100 snow generators and 300 snow-cannons used to fully cover the surface of the ski slopes.
Natural snow fell on the National Alpine Ski Center during the 11th day of Olympic activity and became a problem for snow sports that have been operating on artificial surfaces.
The snow machines were required to create over 1.2 million cubic meters of snow to certify the athletes have a sufficient amount of snow for the events ahead.
Lapinski said machine-made snow should not be considered a substitute for real snow.
“There is a major difference [between] skiing in fresh snow and machine-made snow,” Lapinski said. “Fresh snow allows you to sink slightly into the snow and glide along the mountain and is great for turning [and] stopping efficiently, and the snow on the mountain packs very nicely for a smooth ride.”
Natural snow consists of a lot more air-filled pockets and is made up of less water content than machine-made snow. This makes the snow soft and fluffy.
“Machine-made snow, in my opinion, tends to be icy and not as smooth as real snow. Machine-made snow does not have the same sticking ability that real snow does, and it quickly is swept away by skiers and snowboarders on the slopes.”
Since machine-made snow is more dense and icy, it can create situations that cause skiers to gain more speed, which can also be more dangerous.
“Climate change has lasting effects on the slopes, and I do not see it not being a problem any time soon.”
Freshman Shawn Bellenger, who has been skiing since he was three years old, has skied on multiple mountains in Vermont in addition to skiing in Peru. He said global warming will affect his ski trips during future winters.
“Especially in Vermont this year, snowfall [amounts had] been down. Therefore, [there is] more machine-made snow and not the full experience of skiing,” Bellenger said.
He said skiers are not the only athletes who are feeling the impacts of climate change.
“Any other sports on snow or ice in the outdoors are going to be affected by global warming,” Bellenger said. “Sports such as snowboarding, outdoor ice hockey and even as far as ice fishing competitions can be affected.”
