Marianna Nowacki - Ski Northeast

The ski season in the Northeast has progressively been getting shorter, with less snowfall. The ski industry is of vital importance not only to those who find solace in winter sports such as skiing and snowboarding; but tourism, jobs and state revenue in the Northeast also rely this source of economic activity. Most Northeastern resorts now rely on expensive equipment to create artificial snow allowing for the ski season to last as long as possible. Resorts also have invested in creating more outdoor and indoor activities that can run in the summer or year-round. However, smaller ski areas are not able to economically afford this extra equipment. Thus, many ski areas in the Northeast, especially those of lower altitude, are at risk of not surviving the century as the area begins to see warmer, shorter winters. 

• Intro
• Climate change in general
• World wide/ broad US climate change
• Climate change Northeast US
• Effects of climate change on local ski areas
• How ski areas are coping
• Looking long-term
• Conclusion

A shirtless man watches two skiers at the Olympics on February 14, 2014. The warm temperatures in Sochi have created problems for some of the events. Photography by Gregario Borgia. 

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/02/140221-climate-change-winter-olympics-global-warming-science/

Rising temperatures are leading less snow accumulating at lower altitudes. Image by Erik Johansson.

http://www.mensjournal.com/magazine/aspen-and-the-end-of-snow-20140117

Artificial snow-making has become the stopgap defense against the early effects of climate change. Photograph by Bjorn Andrén.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/08/opinion/sunday/the-end-of-snow.html?_r=1

Graph of projections of ski areas in the Northeast. Image by Daniel Scott for the Boston Globe.