Even though this picture might suggest otherwise, many ski resorts across the country are seeing less snow during the winter.
I grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and learned to ski in the middle school ski club. The club consisted of getting onto a bus early on Saturday mornings at the school with all my friends and going to different resorts throughout the state and Colorado. I have so many great memories of that time. Fast forward to today, I still love skiing! The photo below is me and my kids riding the Santa Fe Express ski lift. ⛷️
Timing is everything when it comes to skiing. When you’re planning a trip, you’re always hoping for that sweet spot, not too cold or icy, and, most importantly, plenty of snow at the resort. Honestly, if it snows the day before you arrive, it’s like hitting the jackpot.
Last week, I got pretty lucky with my timing. Santa Fe Ski Area hadn’t seen much snow since early November, and snowmaking machines were the only thing keeping the runs open. But the day before we hit the slopes, a winter storm warning rolled in, and it started snowing overnight. By the time we showed up in the morning, there was over a foot of fresh powder, and it was still coming down! This was the view from our first chair lift ride.
Snowfall patterns are shifting across the U.S. as our climate warms. According to Climate Central, winter is the fastest-warming season for most of the country, which means less snow in a lot of places.
In fact, nearly two-thirds of locations (64%) are seeing less snow now than they did back in the early 1970s. And it’s not just about how much snow falls, it’s also about when, where, and how quickly it melts in the spring. Climate change is reshaping all of that in ways that are anything but simple.
The Santa Fe Ski Area used to average about 280 inches of snow a year. These days, that’s dropped to around 200 inches, that’s 6 to 7 feet less snow every season! Even in their best recent years, they’ve only managed about 250 inches.
I talked to Tommy Long, the operations manager at Santa Fe Ski Area, and he mentioned it’s not just about the total snowfall, but the timing that’s changed, too. Lately, the heaviest snow has been coming in March, right before the resort closes for the season.
The concern for the Winter Olympics:
If you’re a skier, try chatting with the staff at your resort—I bet you’ll hear similar stories about less snow throughout the season or extreme amounts all at once when it does snow. These patterns aren’t just impacting everyday skiing; they’re also raising big questions about the future of events like the Winter Olympics.
According to Climate Central, February temperatures in the 19 cities that have hosted the Winter Olympics since 1950 have warmed by an average of 4.8°. Beijing, which hosted the 2022 Winter Olympics, has warmed nearly 9° during that time.
And it gets even more concerning. A recent study from the University of Waterloo found that, under a high-emissions scenario, nearly all previous Winter Olympics host cities wouldn’t be able to provide safe and fair conditions for outdoor snow sports by the 2080s.
A big thanks to Eric Thompson, the director of marketing of the Santa Fe Ski Area, who shot the video of this big snow day. Here is his video along with my story:
