USA — February is underway, with the West hoping for major snowfall to make up for a disastrous December and January.
As indicated by the January 31st Westwide SNOTEL, published on February 1st, the snowpack is abysmal. Various sites are at or near record lows. The only areas that appear to be doing well are Wyoming and parts of Montana.
The worst of the bunch is probably Oregon, which was expected to have a strong winter. Snowpack is well below average, resulting in temporary closure at mountains like Mt. Ashland and Mt. Hood Skibowl. In an interview with the New York Times, Mt. Bachelor’s President described it as “a really rough season for ski resorts.”
While New Mexico and Arizona are also in rough shape, they were expecting a below-average winter due to La Niña.
The core concern for those living in these states is that they rely on the snowpack to trickle down to their communities during the summertime. Unfortunately, the runoff is looking well below average. This also increases the risk of a disastrous wildfire season due to a drier environment and less water to fight fires. It also comes as states are in a dispute over Colorado River water rights.
We know that this is impacting ski resort visitation. Vail Resorts revealed in January that early-season visitation is down 20%. While Alterra doesn’t reveal their visitation totals, they are now offering $20 per on-mountain visit per day through February 25th.
Meanwhile, the Midwest, Southeast, and Northeast are having solid seasons, albeit not the snowiest. Unless the ski resort you’re shredding at is Jay Peak.
In conclusion, climate change is totally not real, folks. Nothing to worry about.
Image/Video Credits: USDA
