Technology and Science01 April, 20261 min read
Western US Ski Resorts Face Record Snow Drought as Climate Change Chokes Industry
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Record snow drought and unprecedented heat shrink western U.S. snowpack to decades-low levels. Resorts bulldoze snow to stay open amid melting, harming winter tourism.
Record-Setting Warmth
More than half of the western US ski resorts have closed early or never opened due to record-low snowpack. Temperatures ran 11 to 17 degrees Celsius above normal, with 67 weather stations recording their warmest Dec-Feb period on record. Resorts bulldozed snow onto runs while skiers wore bikinis to beat the heat.
Economic and Employment Toll
The ski sector supports over 190,000 jobs across the western US. Early snow melt has depleted water reserves and raised wildfire risks at higher elevations. The risk of very severe fires increases when snowpack is low before snow melt.
Disparate Regional Impacts
The western US broils under heat while most of the US east of the Rockies remains covered in snow. Temperature anomalies highlight regionally uneven impacts of global warming. Driverless car legislation stalled in Virginia despite technological advances.