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.
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.
“I believe it’s the magic bullet that everyone needs,” said Ken Marlatt, the director of operations for the resort, in an interview., can produce 60 tons of snow a day in any environment — a huge upgrade from previous machines that required temperatures of 28 degrees or lower to operate. Using the machine, Ski Apache was able to produce five acres of snow to get up and running nearly a month earlier at the start of this season, Marlatt said.
Normal snow guns launch water droplets high into below-freezing temperatures so that they freeze before hitting the ground. But those machines don’t work when temperatures aren’t cold enough.
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