Brice Alter, Anthony Martinez, Timi Meadows, and Cael Mulholland
(ENVS 224, Spring 2026, listed alphabetically by last name)
Climate change is significantly reducing snowpack and shortening ski seasons, leading to billions of dollars in economic losses and threatening the long-term viability of ski resorts, especially in lower-elevation regions like the U.S. Northeast and Quebec. While adaptation strategies such as snowmaking can help, they are costly, energy-intensive, and ultimately limited as warming continues. The impacts are unevenly distributed, with small communities, seasonal workers, and lower-income skiers bearing the greatest burdens.
Colorado Rockies: Higher elevations (up to 14,000 ft) provide a temporary buffer against warming. However, average temperatures have risen 2°C since the 1980s, leading to snowpack decline and water-use conflicts.
US Northeast/Quebec: Experience faster season shortening due to lower elevations (~2,000 ft base) and increased freeze-thaw cycles. This region faces potential collapse, with half of its ski resorts projected to go out of business by 2050.