The Colorado Climate Center at Colorado State University, through in-depth interviews with ski area managers, found that ski resorts have difficulty integrating climate change data into their operations and planning.

“Many ski areas we talked to recognized that they were doing the bare minimum and there was so much more to be learned,” assistant professor Natalie Ooi told the university’s news service.  “They are hungry for this information to best position their business, and their communities, to address climate change for the sustainability of the destination.”

The Climate Center provides services and support to the state, and it is now creating a dashboard of climate forecast information aimed at ski businesses. Resorts already employ adaptive measures, such as using artificial snow or augmenting their water rights and water storage. 

In addition, CSU noted resorts’ use of renewable energy and forest fire mitigation practices. Still, in the interviews, “many ski areas acknowledged a difference between what they see out their window on the mountain versus what the weather forecasts say for their region or nearby town,” Ooi said.

Last year, CNBC reported the western U.S. has seen a 41% drop in snow over the past three decades. The wintertime recreation economy supports hospitality, retail, restaurant and real estate jobs, stemming largely from tourist spending.