CHARLOTTE, N.C. â Folks hitting the mountains to ski or snowboard for the holidays will notice those massive machines blowing snow on the slopes, but those machines are a relatively new occurrence.
Scientists say climate change means a lot more fake snow on the slopes than ever before. Let's connect the dots.
Data shows Earth is getting warmer. In fact, 2023 is set to be the warmest year on record by a significant margin. And warmer temperatures mean less real snow.
Experts predict more than half of ski resorts worldwide could be at risk for snow scarcity by 2100 because of climate change. At the rate climate change is progressing now, some believe it could be even sooner.
To fight this, lots of ski resorts around the world are now relying on artificial snow. In Austria and Switzerland, two of Europe's most popular ski destinations, more than half of resorts use fake snow.
These machines work by shooting a stream of water into the air about 35 feet. When the water is released, the cold air around it freezes the droplets, creating artificial snow.
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