Climate Change Could Actually Lead to More Snow—But There’s a Catch In September, unprecedented levels of fall snow in the European Alps led to severe flooding in central Europe. Some areas in the eastern Alps of Austria saw over six and a half feet of snow. This unusual autumn snowfall kickstarted an early ski season across several resorts in the Alps. Related: Up to 10 Feet of Snowfall Forecast for Parts […] Weather Brent Thomas | May 2, 2025 1 Comment
Slippery Slopes: Climate Change Threatens the Future of Skiing in North America At the base of a Massachusetts ski hill one recent November, sunlight glared off a patch of sloppy snow “pooling like dirty mashed potatoes” as the thermometer hit 59°F.1 Scenes like this–unseasonable warmth turning early-season snow to slush–are becoming familiar across the United States and Canada. Ski resort operators and skiers are sounding the alarm that winters are warming, snowpacks […] Brains Clay Malott | February 6, 2025 1 Comment
New Study Highlights Climate Change Threat to Winter Olympics With Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, poised to host the 2026 Olympic Games amid global climate change concerns, researchers are investigating the longevity of potential hosts for the Winter Games. Under the direction of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the University of Waterloo’s professor, Daniel Scott, in conjunction with the University of Innsbruck examined records from 93 of the previous […] Industry News Miles Nagel | November 19, 2024 0 Comments
85-Year-Old French Ski Resort Alpe du Grand Serre Forced to Close Permanently—Climate Change to Blame? The Alpe du Grand Serre ski resort in the French Alps has permanently closed, citing financial difficulties and the impacts of climate change, France3 reports. On October 5, 2023, local authorities voted not to reopen the resort for the upcoming winter season, effectively ending its 85-year run as a popular winter sports destination. Related: Climate Change Could Actually Lead to More […] Industry News SnowBrains | October 8, 2024 0 Comments
Ski Industry Responds to Climate Change Skiers and riders know rising temperatures are leading to warmer and shorter winters. This past season was characterized by uneven seasonal snowfall, decreased snowpack, and loss of ice cover on the Great Lakes. Ski industry associations and resorts are working to combat global warming, advocating for renewable energy and aiming to be better stewards of the environment. Industry-wide initiatives are effectively changing […] Industry News David Michael | July 21, 2024 0 Comments
U.S. Ski Industry Set to Lose Billions Due to Climate Change 2023 was the hottest year on record across the globe. The effects of anthropogenic climate change vary but warming and the effects in mountain regions have outpaced other regions. Less snow, lower yearly snowpacks, and warmer winters are already being felt. But just how much is it affecting the ski industry? Already, resorts have experienced shorter ski seasons due to […] Industry News Samantha Gates | March 12, 2024 0 Comments
Imperfect Advocacy: Addressing The Climate Change Hypocrisy An upcoming film created by professional skier and Protect Our Winters (POW) Athlete Alliance member Amie Engerbretson, The Hypocrite, challenges the notion that winter sports athletes are hypocrites because they leave a large carbon footprint while chasing snow around the world, all while advocating for the climate. Although this film has yet to premiere, the message reflects a fundamental responsibility winter […] Industry News Luke Guilford | February 11, 2024 0 Comments
U.S. Ski & Snowboard Announces New Climate Change Initiative “Easy Green” U.S. Ski & Snowboard officially announced Easy Green, a new climate change-focused initiative focused on amplifying the conversation around climate and driving widespread commitment to sustainable practices across skiing and snowboarding. Named after an “easy green” trail at a resort, the initiative embodies the idea that making sustainable choices when skiing and snowboarding can be easy. Easy Green marks a […] Industry News SnowBrains | February 1, 2024 0 Comments
Austrian TV Commentator Cut Off Live On Air While Talking About Climate Change Former ski racer-come TV commentator Benjamin (‘Benni’) Raich looked stunned on live TV when his TV station told him “Stop” over his earpiece as he was talking about climate change during his coverage of the FIS Alpine World Cup in Sölden, Austria. “I’m not supposed to say anything more,” the 45-year-old said while still live on TV before the Austrian […] Industry News Julia Schneemann | November 1, 2023 0 Comments
Shaun White Teams Up With Utah Whiskey Distillery to Save the American West From Climate Change Three-time Olympic gold medalist and professional snowboarder Shaun White has experienced some of the most exceptional trails, slopes, waves, and views the West has to offer. Over the years, he’s also witnessed firsthand the impact climate change has had on these places, with rising temperatures and melting snowpacks increasingly posing a threat. Today, High West, the Park City-based whiskey distillery, […] Industry News SnowBrains | August 30, 2023 0 Comments
NOAA ENSO Blog: Has Climate Change Already Affected ENSO? For more than 30 years, climate researchers have been puzzling about how human-forced climate change affects the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the warm phase of which we refer to as El Niño and the cold phase as La Niña. There are two aspects to this question: Has climate change affected ENSO already? and How will climate change affect ENSO […] Weather WeatherBrains | July 30, 2023 0 Comments
Utah Artist Paints with Snow to Raise Climate Change Awareness Utah locals have found it hard not to be aware of the changes in climate seen in the past several winters. One of these people is local artist Lexi Dowdall. She grew up skiing the slopes of Snowbird in Little Cottonwood Canyon and she has seen the changes in storms herself and said, “to some of the old veteran patrollers […] Industry News Riley McDonald | March 16, 2023 0 Comments
New Climate Change Themed Race Suit for Team USA for 2023 World Championships If you were paying close attention at the World Championship’s opening event yesterday, the women’s Combined event, you may have noticed Team USA skiers in a new race suit. US Ski & Snowboard, in partnership with Kappa and Protect Our Winters (‘POW’), equipped the Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team with a special race suit for the 2023 FIS Alpine Ski World […] Industry News Julia Schneemann | February 7, 2023 0 Comments
These 5 Ski Resorts are the Most Resilient to Climate Change in North America It is no secret that the snow sports industry relies on the weather. Climate change is being pushed to the top of governments’ agendas as the threat worsens. Certainly, some resorts are uniquely positioned to combat climate change better than others, but which ones do it the best? The Savills Ski Resilience Index ranks global resorts according to their conditions’ […] Industry News Brent Thomas | December 1, 2022 7 Comments
[VIDEO] Colorado Reporter Speaks With 3 Ski Area Bosses About Climate Change, Housing, Labor, and More… The Colorado Sun presents Ski Area Bosses. Outdoors reporter Jason Blevins speaks with Colorado ski bosses on lessons learned during recent seasons, challenges with climate, housing, labor, and more. Speakers included: Rusty Gregory, former Alterra Chief; Mike Kaplan, CEO of Aspen Skiing Company; and Stephen Kircher, owner of Boyne Resorts. Related: The Fresh Snow Fortune Teller: Interview With OpenSnow Founder […] Industry News SnowBrains | October 12, 2022 0 Comments
A Climate Change Win: Arapahoe Basin, CO, Chief Speaks Out in Praise of Inflation Reduction Act Arapahoe Basin COO Alan Henceroth spoke out yesterday to praise the signing of the Inflation Reduction Act by President Biden on Tuesday. Related: Arapahoe Basin, CO, Chief Explains Why Ski Areas Can’t Just Reopen Terrain When it Dumps Late Season Half of the $740 billion package will be invested to combat climate change by offering tax credits and funding for renewable energy, electric vehicles, […] Industry News SnowBrains | August 18, 2022 2 Comments
USA Poised to Reclaim Leadership Role in Climate Change Debate as House of Representatives Votes on Inflation Reduction Act This Friday On August 7 the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) passed the Upper Chamber of the US Congress. The House of Representatives will vote on this act on Friday the 12th. The IRA is a compromise on the previously proposed Build Back Better Act (BBBA). In a nutshell, the IRA aims to raise $739 billion of which roughly half ($369 billion) will […] Industry News Julia Schneemann | August 10, 2022 2 Comments
The 5 Best and Worst States for Climate Change Climate change is a hot topic for many. Not just skiers, but lawmakers and anyone concerned about our planet. But how does climate change affect us based on where we live? That is precisely what Wise Voter set out to answer. Wise Voter publishes information, insights, and tools to help people be informed in the modern age. They ranked each […] Brains Brent Thomas | June 23, 2022 2 Comments
How Climate Change is Impacting Ski Resorts Imagine the feeling of waking up after a snowstorm. Outside it’s cold, quiet, crisp. There are mounds of snow covering trees, no color but the bright white to be found; it feels like an absolute winter wonderland. You grab your skis or board, you get in the car, and you head to your favorite ski mountain. You quickly get in […] Industry News Sarah Stern | June 6, 2022 4 Comments
Ski Utah to Combat Climate Change by Becoming Climate Neutral Certified If there’s one thing that’s instrumental to the ski industry it’s snow. After this past season, it’s no secret that many mountainous regions have experienced warmer weather and less snow. In an effort to combat rising temps, companies like Ski Utah have decided to take action and work to become climate neutral. Ski Utah is a branch of the non-profit, […] Industry News Aunika Skogen | April 29, 2022 0 Comments
Weather
Brains
Industry News
