• Education
    • Higher Education
    • Scholarships & Grants
    • Online Learning
    • School Reforms
    • Research & Innovation
  • Lifestyle
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Fashion & Beauty
    • Home & Living
    • Relationships & Family
  • Technology & Startups
    • Software & Apps
    • Startup Success Stories
    • Startups & Innovations
    • Tech Regulations
    • Venture Capital
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Cybersecurity
    • Emerging Technologies
    • Gadgets & Devices
    • Industry Analysis
  • About us
  • Contact
  • Advertise with Us
  • Privacy & Policy
Today Headline
  • Home
  • World News
    • Us & Canada
    • Europe
    • Asia
    • Africa
    • Middle East
  • Politics
    • Elections
    • Political Parties
    • Government Policies
    • International Relations
    • Legislative News
  • Business & Finance
    • Market Trends
    • Stock Market
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Corporate News
    • Economic Policies
  • Science & Environment
    • Space Exploration
    • Climate Change
    • Wildlife & Conservation
    • Environmental Policies
    • Medical Research
  • Health
    • Public Health
    • Mental Health
    • Medical Breakthroughs
    • Fitness & Nutrition
    • Pandemic Updates
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Tennis
    • Olympics
    • Motorsport
  • Entertainment
    • Movies
    • Music
    • TV & Streaming
    • Celebrity News
    • Awards & Festivals
  • Crime & Justice
    • Court Cases
    • Cybercrime
    • Policing
    • Criminal Investigations
    • Legal Reforms
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • World News
    • Us & Canada
    • Europe
    • Asia
    • Africa
    • Middle East
  • Politics
    • Elections
    • Political Parties
    • Government Policies
    • International Relations
    • Legislative News
  • Business & Finance
    • Market Trends
    • Stock Market
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Corporate News
    • Economic Policies
  • Science & Environment
    • Space Exploration
    • Climate Change
    • Wildlife & Conservation
    • Environmental Policies
    • Medical Research
  • Health
    • Public Health
    • Mental Health
    • Medical Breakthroughs
    • Fitness & Nutrition
    • Pandemic Updates
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Tennis
    • Olympics
    • Motorsport
  • Entertainment
    • Movies
    • Music
    • TV & Streaming
    • Celebrity News
    • Awards & Festivals
  • Crime & Justice
    • Court Cases
    • Cybercrime
    • Policing
    • Criminal Investigations
    • Legal Reforms
No Result
View All Result
Today Headline
No Result
View All Result
Home World News Us & Canada

Snow farming might help the ski industry survive global warming

March 16, 2025
in Us & Canada
Reading Time: 5 mins read
A A
0
Snow farming might help the ski industry survive global warming
5
SHARES
11
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter


Following last winter, one of the warmest on record, some ski hills and nordic centres may want to look into snow farming — the practice of stockpiling snow to extend the season.

Canada was one of the pioneers in a technique now used around the world, which actually has nothing to do with crops or livestock.

Snow farming can mean a few different things, from redirecting snow in the winter to stockpiling it over the summer. But unlike artificial snowmaking, these techniques work even if there isn’t a water source or freezing temperatures.

Banff Sunshine in Alberta, which doesn’t have access to a major water source, has been snow farming since the 70s.

“Because of our unique location, we had to get creative with how we ran our resort and collected our snow,” said Kendra Scurfield, whose family has owned and operated the resort since 1981. Scurfield, who is the company’s vice-president of brand and communications, says that snow farming started as a necessity and is especially important in seasons with less snow.

The mountain operations team uses fences made of bamboo and plastic to take advantage of the high wind.

“We’ll string a fence up, and as the snow falls and the wind blows, the fences kind of act as a net to catch all the snow,” said Scurfield. “Our team does study the wind patterns to know which will be the best zone for catching it.”

WATCH | How snow fences are installed:

Unique snow farming technique reduces artificial snowmaking at Sunshine Village


Once a fenced off zone is full, they’ll move that snow where it’s needed most. Like spreading icing on a cake, she said.

While Scurfield says that snow farming has been done in the Alps in some capacity since the middle ages, it’s been needed more across North America in recent years, and she says they will continue to do it as the climate changes.

Although still an uncommon practice in North America, snow farming is now used in various ski locations, including B.C.’s Baldy Mountain Resort, Vermont’s Craftsbury Outdoor Centre and Alberta’s Canmore Nordic Centre.

Using snow storage to help the early season

Jamie Temple works as snowmaking supervisor for the Canmore Nordic Centre. They’ve done some other kinds of snow farming in the past, but now focus mostly on what Temple refers to as snow storage — saving snow in piles covered with insulating materials.

“Snow storage is used to get a course in the early season when we don’t have snow,” he said.

In 2009, Canmore Nordic Centre first started the practice of making big snow piles in mid-December or early January, and covering them in a thick layer of sawdust over the summer. Then, the stored snow is excavated in the fall, around Thanksgiving, to make a track called Frozen Thunder.

Snow, stored over the summer under sawdust, is laid out annually for Canmore Nordic Centre’s Frozen Thunder. This year, they are planning for a path will be longer than it has ever been. (Canmore Nordic Centre)

This year, Frozen Thunder will be the longest ever — six or seven kilometres, compared to the original 2.2 km. Its capacity has also been extended from a practice space for high-performance athletes to an early recreational ski course.

“Last year, we got -15 C in October, and this year was pretty opposite — we didn’t get much snowmaking temperature and the precipitation was near nil,” he said.

“It seems to be very different year to year, rather than on a gradient … we are doing these processes to make sure that we can still bring quality product to people, even if climate change becomes much worse.”

Snow farming to manage weather unpredictability

The U.S. has also been suffering, with a study from the University of Waterloo estimating that the U.S. ski industry has lost more than $5 billion US over the past two decades because of human-caused climate change.

When Judy Geer and her husband Dick Dreissigacker bought Vermont-based Craftsbury Outdoor Centre in 2008, they turned it into a non-profit focused on lifelong sports, sustainable practices and being good stewards of the land.

“The climate’s changing — there’s no doubt about that — and as skiers, we’re especially aware of it,” she said. “Last year, everything thawed just a little bit too fast  … and unfortunately it looks like it’s about to do the same this year. We had almost [15.6 C] yesterday, which is crazy, and we lost a lot [of snow].”

While Craftsbury has a few snowblowers that can make snow, they were looking for other solutions because it wasn’t getting cold enough by U.S. Thanksgiving in late November to be able to do so.

That’s where University of Vermont School of the Environment and Natural Resources professor Paul Bierman came in — approaching Craftsbury in 2018 to propose an experiment in snow farming.

They began with small test piles and eventually figured out that a thick layer of woodchips would allow them to keep 65 to 70 per cent of the snow. Soon after, they’d scaled up to a pile with almost 6,000 cubic metres of snow in an old pond.

As far as Geer and Bierman know, Craftsbury is the only place in the U.S. that engages in snow farming, but that it’s crucial to their ski season now, given the unpredictability of weather.

An excavator flattens out the snow piles so that they require fewer wood chips to cover. (Craftsbury Outdoor Center)

“It’s pretty amazing, there’s snow out there under those wood chips all summer,” said Geer. “And it means that when [U.S.] Thanksgiving comes for us, even if we don’t have cold enough temperatures to make fresh snow, we can spread out that snow and get between one and two kilometers of skiing.”

WATCH | A time lapse of the snow pile excavation:


To reduce the environmental impact, many of the wood chips come from trees that fall on the trails, and the snow guns used to make the pile are powered by generators with a heat recovery unit that’s used to power their housing.

Aside from economic stability for Craftsbury and the surrounding local businesses, snow farming has also allowed them to do fun things with the snow, such as bring out a small track for the 4th of July for the town party.

“People doing flips and jumps and turns and having a blast on this little hill covered in snow in the middle of July,” said Bierman. “It was, that was probably the single most fun thing I’ve ever seen the stuff being used for.”



Source link

Previous Post

Man shot dead while on way to work in northern Arab town

Next Post

China’s brokerage sector sees mega-mergers but remains competitive and fragmented

Related Posts

Here's how a major Mexican tomato exporter is affected by Trump’s 17% tariff

Here’s how a major Mexican tomato exporter is affected by Trump’s 17% tariff

July 27, 2025
8
Yankees captain Aaron Judge to go on injured list with flexor strain

Yankees captain Aaron Judge to go on injured list with flexor strain

July 27, 2025
6
Next Post
China's brokerage sector sees mega-mergers but remains competitive and fragmented

China's brokerage sector sees mega-mergers but remains competitive and fragmented

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Family calls for change after B.C. nurse dies by suicide after attacks on the job

Family calls for change after B.C. nurse dies by suicide after attacks on the job

April 2, 2025
Pioneering 3D printing project shares successes

Product reduces TPH levels to non-hazardous status

November 27, 2024

Police ID man who died after Corso Italia fight

December 23, 2024

Hospital Mergers Fail to Deliver Better Care or Lower Costs, Study Finds todayheadline

December 31, 2024
Harris tells supporters 'never give up' and urges peaceful transfer of power

Harris tells supporters ‘never give up’ and urges peaceful transfer of power

0
Des Moines Man Accused Of Shooting Ex-Girlfriend's Mother

Des Moines Man Accused Of Shooting Ex-Girlfriend’s Mother

0

Trump ‘looks forward’ to White House meeting with Biden

0
Catholic voters were critical to Donald Trump’s blowout victory: ‘Harris snubbed us’

Catholic voters were critical to Donald Trump’s blowout victory: ‘Harris snubbed us’

0
Hong Kong’s John Lee holds first forum to gauge views for coming policy address

Hong Kong’s John Lee holds first forum to gauge views for coming policy address

July 27, 2025
Blue gold: how a Ghana mine’s troubles hit workers and UK politicians – and could cost British taxpayers

Blue gold: how a Ghana mine’s troubles hit workers and UK politicians – and could cost British taxpayers

July 27, 2025
Israeli troops board Handala, Gaza-bound boat set to break siege

Israeli troops board Handala, Gaza-bound boat set to break siege

July 27, 2025
the bright orange and white flame from a rocket engine lights the scene at night of a booster stage landing on an ocean-based platform

SpaceX launch from California marks 2nd Starlink mission in 24 hours

July 27, 2025

Recent News

Hong Kong’s John Lee holds first forum to gauge views for coming policy address

Hong Kong’s John Lee holds first forum to gauge views for coming policy address

July 27, 2025
2
Blue gold: how a Ghana mine’s troubles hit workers and UK politicians – and could cost British taxpayers

Blue gold: how a Ghana mine’s troubles hit workers and UK politicians – and could cost British taxpayers

July 27, 2025
4
Israeli troops board Handala, Gaza-bound boat set to break siege

Israeli troops board Handala, Gaza-bound boat set to break siege

July 27, 2025
4
the bright orange and white flame from a rocket engine lights the scene at night of a booster stage landing on an ocean-based platform

SpaceX launch from California marks 2nd Starlink mission in 24 hours

July 27, 2025
9

TodayHeadline is a dynamic news website dedicated to delivering up-to-date and comprehensive news coverage from around the globe.

Follow Us

Browse by Category

  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Basketball
  • Business & Finance
  • Climate Change
  • Crime & Justice
  • Cybersecurity
  • Economic Policies
  • Elections
  • Entertainment
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Environmental Policies
  • Europe
  • Football
  • Gadgets & Devices
  • Health
  • Medical Research
  • Mental Health
  • Middle East
  • Motorsport
  • Olympics
  • Politics
  • Public Health
  • Relationships & Family
  • Science & Environment
  • Software & Apps
  • Space Exploration
  • Sports
  • Stock Market
  • Technology & Startups
  • Tennis
  • Travel
  • Uncategorized
  • Us & Canada
  • Wildlife & Conservation
  • World News

Recent News

Hong Kong’s John Lee holds first forum to gauge views for coming policy address

Hong Kong’s John Lee holds first forum to gauge views for coming policy address

July 27, 2025
Blue gold: how a Ghana mine’s troubles hit workers and UK politicians – and could cost British taxpayers

Blue gold: how a Ghana mine’s troubles hit workers and UK politicians – and could cost British taxpayers

July 27, 2025
  • Education
  • Lifestyle
  • Technology & Startups
  • About us
  • Contact
  • Advertise with Us
  • Privacy & Policy

© 2024 Todayheadline.co

Welcome Back!

OR

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Business & Finance
  • Corporate News
  • Economic Policies
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Market Trends
  • Crime & Justice
  • Court Cases
  • Criminal Investigations
  • Cybercrime
  • Legal Reforms
  • Policing
  • Education
  • Higher Education
  • Online Learning
  • Entertainment
  • Awards & Festivals
  • Celebrity News
  • Movies
  • Music
  • Health
  • Fitness & Nutrition
  • Medical Breakthroughs
  • Mental Health
  • Pandemic Updates
  • Lifestyle
  • Fashion & Beauty
  • Food & Drink
  • Home & Living
  • Politics
  • Elections
  • Government Policies
  • International Relations
  • Legislative News
  • Political Parties
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Middle East
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Cybersecurity
  • Emerging Technologies
  • Gadgets & Devices
  • Industry Analysis
  • Basketball
  • Football
  • Motorsport
  • Olympics
  • Climate Change
  • Environmental Policies
  • Medical Research
  • Science & Environment
  • Space Exploration
  • Wildlife & Conservation
  • Sports
  • Tennis
  • Technology & Startups
  • Software & Apps
  • Startup Success Stories
  • Startups & Innovations
  • Tech Regulations
  • Venture Capital
  • Uncategorized
  • World News
  • Us & Canada
  • Public Health
  • Relationships & Family
  • Travel
  • Research & Innovation
  • Scholarships & Grants
  • School Reforms
  • Stock Market
  • TV & Streaming
  • Advertise with Us
  • Privacy & Policy
  • About us
  • Contact

© 2024 Todayheadline.co