A father and son ski down a slope at Paoli Peaks. The resort relies on snowmaking machines to stay open when it doesn’t snow, which is happening more often due to climate change. Photo provided by Paoli Peaks
PAOLI — Some Hoosiers are still digging out from the recent winter storm that dumped over 14 inches of snow in parts of southern Indiana. But one place is more than happy to stay buried: Paoli Peaks ski resort.
The popular winter recreation destination opened late for the season on Jan. 3 due to a mild December, but closed just a week later after another warm spurt melted the snow manufactured by the resort.
Now, skiers and snowboarders are taking advantage of the cold snap and all-natural snowpack for the first time this season, explained Jacy Steelman, Paoli Peaks’ senior manager of operations.
“We love a big snowstorm because it creates energy and excitement at the resort and serves as a powerful reminder to those who live farther away that winter has arrived and it’s time to get out and ski or ride,” he said.
But those snowstorms and cold days that make up the bread-andbutter season for winter recreation areas are becoming more rare and inconsistent, making it harder for ski resorts to operate, explained Beth Hall, director of Purdue University’s Indiana State Climate Office.
“I would say that if that was the business one wanted to go into, your risk has certainly increased,” she said.
Indiana and other Midwestern states are experiencing some of the biggest jumps in average winter temperatures, climbing around five degrees from the 1970s, according to data from Climate Central, a climate-change awareness group.
In Louisville, Kentucky, located about 50 miles south of Paoli, the area is experiencing 14 warmer-than-average days in the winter compared to the last 50 years, the data found.
That means skiing seasons are getting shorter and natural, snow-covered slopes are becoming less frequent.
Those climate-changei ndue d t r end s hav e contributed to the closure of over 480 skiing areas in the Midwest, according to the Midwest Lost Ski Areas Project. Since the 1960s, 10 have closed in Indiana as changing weather made profit margins too thin.
The most recent closure came in 2008, when Pines Ski Area shut down after a nearly 50-year run. Owner Cris Marshall told the Associated Press he decided to put the 36-acre site near Valparaiso up for sale due to frustrations over less snowfall.
He explained it had become hard in recent years to produce enough lasting snow to make the business profitable, even with the use of more than 20 snowmaking machines.
Today, Paoli Peaks and Perfect North Slopes located in Lawrenceburg are the only two remaining ski resorts in the state, but other recreation areas also depend on cold winters to operate. That includes Koteewi Run and Valleys Edge, both of which offer snow tubing.
All the areas rely heavily on snow making to stay open. Steelman with Paoli Peaks said the resort has used manufactured snow for decades to offer skiers a consistent season. “While we certainly love a good natural snowstorm, snowfall isn’t the only way we deliver winter conditions,” he said.
The development of low-energy snowmaking technology has also allowed the resort to adapt to changing weather pat terns, Steelman noted. Newer snow-tower guns can produce roughly twice as much snow using the same amount of energy compared to 25-year-old models, according to the Alta Environmental Center.
That not only saves ski areas hundreds of thousands of dollars in energy costs, but also cuts down on carbon emissions that have contributed to warmer winters in the first place, the center reported.
Mike King, a former professional skier from Michigan and climate-change advocate with the nonprofit Protect Our Winters, said even with energy-efficient snow machines, he still worries climate change poses an existential threat to the sport.
“I have major concerns,” he said. “I’m very concerned for my nephews and my nieces and this next generation that love skiing.”
After competing for about a decade, King said, he gave up the sport due in part to the unpredictable winter seasons he relied on for income. Now, he’s sounding the alarm that warmer winter weather is jeopardizing not only the ski industry, but other industries like fruit growing.
“I’m hoping we can make some changes as a society and mitigate the changes as much as we can,” he said. “But as of right now, it’s very spooky.”
But until those changes come, the snow guns at Paoli Peaks will keep firing to keep the slopes open for as long as possible, Steelman said.
“Snowstorms like the one we just had are a fantastic bonus, but our team works hard behind the scenes to make sure guests can enjoy the slopes all winter long,” he said.
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