Winter Sports Generate $72-Billion and Create 695,000 Jobs | How Will Climate Change Affect the Industry?

The global climate change is real, science says so. Whether humans are the cause of that, or if it’s just the normal fluctuation of temperatures of the planet over thousands and millions of years is another discussion. But temperatures, on average, are rising across the US, resulting in unpredictable weather patterns.

Ski resorts that could in the past rely on heavy snowfall all season long are left biting their nails in anticipation of decent snow, affecting a whole industry and the economic benefits it provides. So how do we think climate change could affect the ski industry?

In the first part of a series of infographics produced by ‘Protect our Winters’, they begin by looking at “Changing Conditions: How Climate Change Will Affect the Ski Industry” with a snapshot of the role winter sports plays in the US economy. Winter sports (including snowboarding, snowmobiling, snowshoeing and more) are proven to be an economic factor not only in mountain communities but all across the country, creating jobs and adding economic value at hundreds of touchpoints along the way.

More importantly, these are real people with real lives on the line. Thousands of good, hardworking people rely on the ski industry to make a living, and climate change threatens their way of life. Check out the full infographic below for what’s at stake if the snowsports industry were to dwindle:

All credit for data used in infographic goes to Protect Our Winters. View their 2018 Economic Report to see the full findings of their research.