Saving Winter: New Hampshire Skiing in the Era of Climate Change
Map of Ski NH member resorts as of 2023 (Courtesy of Ski NH, designed by Senan Gorman)
In New Hampshire, the winter ski industry provides roughly 10,000 jobs, $500 million in yearly economic output, and forms an unmistakable part of the state’s identity. Researchers estimate a loss of over $50 million in yearly revenue during recent lower-snow winters. (1) Due to climate change, winters are warming and snowfall is decreasing in NH, portending more such winters to come. If climate change continues as usual without major actions to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions, the state is projected to see roughly 40 percent less snowfall, 60 percent fewer days of deep snow cover, and a 20 to 50 percent reduction in days cold enough for ski areas to make snow by the end of the century. (2) This exhibit examines what warming winters mean for NH’s culture, economy, and environment, and particularly at how skiers and the ski industry are responding to the changing climate.
This exhibit grew out of a series of articles written by the author, which are linked below:
- "A Century of Changes and a Future of Unknowns"
- "New Hampshire Skiing: Snowmaking is a Matter of Survival for Small NH Ski Areas"
- "New Hampshire Skiing on a ‘Gerbil Loop’: Warming Winters Constrict the Nordic Ski Experience"
- "New Hampshire Skiing’s Uphill Battle: Backcountry Skiing in Warming Winters"
- "New Hampshire Skiing: What Does the Future Look Like?"
All images, unless otherwise noted, were taken by the author. Special thanks to the New England Ski Museum, New Hampshire Historical Society, Ski New Hampshire, Mary Stampone, Torey Lee Brooks, and Ed Warren for providing additional images and documents.
"Saving Winter: New Hampshire Skiing in the Era of Climate Change" by Bea Burack is on display in Baker Library's Reiss Hall through the end of April 2024. Physical exhibit created by Dennis Grady. Digital exhibit created by Daniel Lin.
(1) Elizabeth Burakowski and Matthew Magnusson, "Climate Impacts on the Winter Tourism Economy in the United States" December 2012, https://scholars.unh.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1020&context=sustainability; Daniel S. Lee, Economic Contribution of the Ski Industry in New Hampshire, May 2019, https://www.skinh.com/assets/documents/Economic-Contribution-Study-14-18-FINAL.pdf.
(2) Burakowski, Elizabeth; Contosta, Alix; Grogan, Danielle; Nelson, Sarah; Garlick, Sarah; and Casson, Nora, "Future of Winter in Northeastern North America: Climate Indicators Portray Warming and Snow Loss that will Impact Ecosystems and Communities" (2022). Northeastern Naturalist. 1394. https://scholars.unh.edu/faculty_pubs/1394; Lemcke-Stampone, Mary D.; Wake, Cameron P.; and Burakowski, Elizabeth, "New Hampshire Climate Assessment 2021" (2022). The Sustainability Institute. 71. https://scholars.unh.edu/sustainability/71.