A new study in to climate change in the US state of Vermont, home to ski areas including Killington and Stowe, has concluded that the state’s slopes may got more snow in coming seasons, before there’s probably no snow in the more distant future.
The Vermont Climate Assessment published by the University of Vermont found that average temperatures had risen by about 1.7 degrees in the past 50 years and are expected to rise a further between 2 to 3.6 degrees over the next 35 years as global warming accelerates.
While the length of the season is getting shorter – starting later and ending sooner, climate change is bringing more precipitation, and while it remains cold enough, this can result in more snowfall.
The study predicts that means good news for skiers and boarders for about the next 25 years, but after that ever diminishing snow cover with ever more precipitation falling as rain even in winter.