Skiing and snowboarding are winter staples for many around the world, but as the planet warms, experts say , especially during the holiday season in mid-to-late December.
At the Andermatt-Sedrun-Disentis ski resort in Switzerland, researchers from the University of Basel calculated how man-made snow might keep the ski season to 100 days or more into the next century.
The experts behind this peer-reviewed study published in the also wanted to understand what steps the resort could take to ensure skiing is possible through December.
The researchers used the latest Swiss climate change scenarios, and software that analyzes snow conditions, both with and without man-made snowmaking.
The study found that while ski resorts are often assessed by a “100-day rule†– which means 100 consecutive days with a snow pack of 30 centimetres or more – it is the two-week period during the holidays in mid-to-late December that remains a "crucial time period" for operators as this time can bring in around one quarter of annual revenue.
"According to the results, the use of (man-made) snow can indeed guarantee a 100-day ski season – in the higher parts of the ski resort (at 1,800 metres and above), at least," . "But business is likely to be tight during the Christmas holidays in coming decades, with the weather often not cold enough at this time and in the weeks before."
Researchers found the located in the Swiss Alps, cannot offer guaranteed snow during December due to the increasing temperatures. Snow guns can help create snow for the slopes but will not be the solution to indefinite skiing during December, the researchers said.
Man-made snow can be produced at temperatures around minus 2.2 degrees Celsius, , but air and ground temperature play a factor in the quality of snow. It says snowmaking is most effective around the minus 6 degrees Celsius mark.The Andermatt-Sedrun-Disentis ski resort uses approximately 300 million litres of water. Researchers predict that during an average winter at the end of the century, the resort would need 79 per cent more water -- 540 million litres -- to produce enough snow required to keep the slopes open for 100 days or more.
Water used for snowmaking in the Andermatt-Sedrun-Disentis area comes from Switzerland’s Oberalpsee lake. Researchers said if this upward trajectory of temperatures continues, more water resources will be needed to maintain snowmaking.
“The Oberalpsee is also used to produce hydroelectric power,†Maria Vorkauf, lead author of the study said. “Here, we are likely to see a conflict between the water demands for the ski resort and those for hydropower generation.â€
While researchers did not give specify how much that extra water usage would cost, the study did suggest those snowmaking costs will likely be passed on to customers.
“Sooner or later, people with average incomes will simply no longer be able to afford (ski trips),†Erika Hiltbrunner lead researcher said.
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