Save Our Snow! Please!
Art: Bob Commander
I once met a man who didn’t believe that a human being had actually walked on the moon. In his opinion, if he hadn’t seen it, it simply hadn’t happened. There are still a few people who believe that a significant global climate change is not occurring, or if it is, that it’s not a result of human behavior. And it’s somewhere else — like Indonesia or Alaska. This head-in-the-sand attitude, however, will not reverse the very real snow loss that is occurring in Park City and Summit County — a proven loss — due to climate change from emissions caused by excessive use of carbon-based fuels.
In January of this year, a large number of Park City residents attended a presentation that addressed the potential future climate of the Park City region. Mark Williams of the Institute of Alpine and Arctic Research [INSTAAR] and Brian Lazar of Stratus Consulting presented results of their research using four different modeling approaches. According to the Executive Summary of this report, all scenarios projected a substantial increase in air temperatures and a decrease in precipitation for the region over the next 100 years, with a range of temperature increases from 5.9 to 15.1 degrees Fahrenheit in Park City by 2100. In other words, within one century, Park City’s air temperatures will resemble Salt Lake City’s current climate.
Using the climate change scenarios and a snowmelt runoff model, Williams and Lazar estimate that the date when snow starts to accumulate at the base area of Park City Mountain Resort will be at least four weeks later than it is now, and some scenarios predict that by the year 2100, there will be no snow accumulation at all. Thanksgiving and spring-break snow depths are predicted to be at or near zero by 2075. The snowline is projected to move up to approximately 9,500 feet (the top of Deer Valley Resort measures 9,400 feet), and snow depths reduced by 15 to 65 percent. Results of the emissions scenarios for 2100 indicate that we may have reliable snowpack on the upper quarter of our local mountains, or that there may be no consistent snow coverage at all. This report also indicates that by 2075, the reduction in snowpack could not be offset with snowmaking because air temperatures won’t be cold enough to even make snow until late November or early December.
Now for the good news. While these predictions indicate that mountain-based winter tourism is extremely vulnerable to climate changes, Park City has already taken strides in addressing this issue by studying its land and energy use, transportation, and recycling efforts. Park City currently purchases 20 percent of the energy used by City Hall from wind power sources (with plans to increase this use), supports Recycle Utah in its efforts to operate a central recycling and educational facility, and operates the second largest public transit district in Utah. Area resorts are also engaged in efforts to reduce emissions. Park City Mountain Resort, for example, purchases enough renewable energy to power all four of its six-passenger chairlifts, thus keeping 2.5 million pounds of greenhouse gas emissions out of the atmosphere.
Savvy Park City residents are also pitching in by changing their incandescent light bulbs (to compact fluorescent bulbs), utilizing non-motorized or public methods of transportation, purchasing renewable energy, and buying locally-produced organic foods. Yeah, it’s that easy to make a huge difference. And to keep skiing in Park City a reality instead of just a memory!
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