"Some worry the amount of energy needed to make the fake snow contributes to the very problem resorts are trying to confront"
"A lack of snow and abnormally mild temperatures are threatening ski resorts in the eastern United States, Europe and Asia. As natural snow becomes scarcer and temperatures creep too high for traditional snow machines, new technology is helping a growing number of ski areas adapt to the warming climate.
These new snow machines can make fake snow in temperatures as high as 80 degrees. But there are limitations that may keep this human-made snow from being a true solution. The costly machines require an enormous amount of energy to operate — much more than traditional ones — and can often make only enough snow to cover small areas.
Still, more companies in the United States, Canada and Europe are using the machines to fill slopes during warm winter spells. Winter resorts that have purchased the machines say that when snowfall spells are mild, as they have been this year, the machines provide a more reliable supply.
This winter, mild temperatures and a lack of snow have posed challenges for ski resorts in both Europe and the eastern United States. Earlier this month, instead of deep powder, thick and goopy mud sat atop numerous slopes in the Alps amid record warmth. In the eastern United States, no measurable snow has fallen along the Interstate 95 corridor from Washington to New York, and flakes have also been scarce in the mountains to their west, home to numerous ski areas."
Amudalat Ajasa reports for the Washington Post January 28, 2023.
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