Global Warming Might Help Some Ski Resorts
Robert Henson of the University of Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado states that global warming may be a good thing for the Colorado ski industry. In the article by David Frey from CBS4Denver.com Henson says as the snow levels rise due to global warming over the coming decades the higher elevations of the Colorado resorts will capitalize. The idea is that a large portion of ski areas across the U.S. and other countries are at a lower elevation compared to the Colorado resorts, and that they will suffer due to a greater loss of natural snow, The result will be an increase in business for the Colorado resorts at the expense of the resorts at a lower elevation outside the state.
I am not sure if this would work out for Colorado as much as he thinks. What if global warming leads to an even drier climate in the Rockies? I think the true advantage might be the fact that the difference in the length of the ski season from higher Colorado resorts to the majority of the lower resorts would grow, allowing the Colorado resorts to have a higher percentage of their profit coming from being open for a longer period of time. This is already the case now, but down the road it may be a lot longer.
Comments (9)
Denver was two days short this winter of breaking their all time record for consecutive days of snow on the ground. The record was set in 1981, and the previous record was from 1913.
Is there a pattern there? 1. 1981, 2. 2007, 3. 1913
If there is, I don't see it. BTW - snowfall in Denver was close to normal for the winter. It was cold temperatures which caused the snow to remain.
Meanwhile, the folks up the road at NOAA in Boulder kept putting out press releases about the "warmest winter ever"
What a circus.
Posted by Patrick Henry | June 20, 2007 11:50 AM
C'mon Patrick. Didn't you know that the reason for that was because all of the ice packs in the arctic north are melting at a rapid pace and flowing southward thus creating the cold conditions on the continent? How could you spew such doubt? (uncontrolable laughter).
For the record, back in December when everyone was flipping out over how mild the early part of the winter was, one idiot on the radio said, and I quote "I am afraid it will never snow again." Two weeks later it snowed with avengence, and the bitter cold lasted into April with only a few breaks in March. You people better be careful what you wish for, especially you panic mongers. I am sure if you ask someone in Oswego, New York about how "warm" the winter was, they will laugh in your face!
No Guilt Here, EVER!
Posted by Oiznop | June 20, 2007 2:00 PM
Brett,
You ask, "What if global warming leads to an even drier climate in the Rockies?"
A few of the commenters on this blog, including BT, state that the warmer air will hold more moisture, therefore creating better ski conditions. However, on the down side, the wetter snow will result in something akin to Sierra Concrete, and no more dry powder. That would be a shame.
Also, the empirical record indicates that most droughts occur in colder periods not when things warm up. I guess it comes down to whether you believe the empirical record or a computer model.
I think I'll go with the emperical record.
Posted by Paul | June 20, 2007 2:15 PM
The "warmest winter ever" was actually colder than most winters in the 1930s and 1990s
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/img/climate/research/2007/mar/Reg110Dv00Elem02_01032007_pg.gif
Posted by Patrick Henry | June 20, 2007 4:29 PM
I would have to agree with Paul. The worst drought to hit NAmerica in 1500 years occured during the coldest decades of the Little Ice Age. This drought covered extended from Virginia through North Carolina.
Europe also saw some of its worst droughts during the same period. The Great London Fire occured during a particularly nasty spring-summer where temperatures climbed well above 30 deg C and not a speck of rain fell. The next winter was so cold that the oak trees in the Midlands split in half.
Dr Hansen pays no attention to the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (the PDO). The PDO, when in its positive phase amplifies the Southern Oscillation, which we have found out has a profound affect on North American weather in general, and global temperatures in particular.
Posted by JP | June 20, 2007 4:52 PM
"The "warmest winter ever" was actually colder than most winters in the 1930s and 1990s"
It was the warmest winter ever globally.
The graph you posted is only of the US. Again, you can't seem to get the difference between global and regional.
Nice attempt at misinforming the masses....luckily I'm here as your fact-checker.
Posted by Mark | June 20, 2007 9:15 PM
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/financialpost/comment/story.html?id=597d0677-2a05-47b4-b34f-b84068db11f4&p=4
Very good article on solar activity and its relation to heating and cooling cycles.
Posted by jon | June 20, 2007 10:23 PM
Are the sceptics disputing GW now?
I thought they agreed the earth was warming but disputed any human responsibility.
So are they saying now that the recent sun spot activity had no effect on the earth�s climate, that its not warming and the seasons are not affected?
This is very worrying because they were hoping that GW will revert to pre industrial temperatures when the sun stops its natural cycle .
The warmest winter has occurred and has been recorded after a decade of global record temperatures but the Anti AGW group has no explanation, except to say its not AGW.
Sorry guys, can you move on, now that you know you were wrong, denial is silly.
Will cutting co2 emissions to pre1990 levels have any effect on the co2 causing AGW that was released decades ago?
Posted by Anonymous | June 21, 2007 1:07 AM
Mark,
Forunately, you're here as our fact-checker... I woulnd't have noticed that was a graphic containing only information from the US.
Posted by Emiliano | June 21, 2007 9:52 AM