The Value of Snow
Investments in snow pay high-dollar dividends.
By Jessica D. Lundquiston 18 December 2018
The fall colors are moving from the trees to the sidewalk, and the morning walk to the bus stop seems colder each day. “Do you think it will snow today?†my son asks each morning. “I want it to snow!†We live in Seattle and, if we’re lucky, we will get snow on one day in December or January.
But the desire for snow is widespread. The late-December winter break typically contributes 15 to 30 percent of skier visitation. According to Elizabeth Burakowski from the University of New Hampshire, summarizing data in a 2018 report she co-authored for the non-profit, Protect Our Winters, the US ski industry “generates over $11 billion in economic activity and supports nearly 200,000 jobs in the US.†The report goes on to state, “In low snow years, reduced skier visitation at US resorts decreased economic activity by over $1 billion and cost 17,400 jobs compared to average snow seasons over the period 2001 to 2016.â€
https://eos.org/editors-vox/the-value-of-snow
