Over the past century, winters in the Chocorua Lake Basin have been getting warmer and snow-covered days have been decreasing.
Since 1970, the rate of winter warming per decade in New Hampshire has been triple the rate of the previous 75 years. Snow cover is projected to decrease substantially across New Hampshire in response to warmer temperatures, reducing the average number of days with snow cover by 50 percent to 75 percent by 2100.
A century of observations show that spring ice-out dates on New Hampshire lakes are now occurring seven to ten days earlier today than in the past.
Within 25 years, the average ski season earlier in New Hampshire will be 4-5 weeks shorter, with the snow season starting 2 weeks later and ending 2 to 3 weeks earlier. The probability of ski areas being open for Christmas will decline below 75%. More than half of the ski resorts in New Hampshire may no longer be viable within 30 years because of warmer winters.
Reliable snowmobile and cross-country skiing seasons could be completely eliminated.
The effect on the New Hampshire ski industry has already been significant. Between 1999 and 2010, low snowfall years in New Hampshire resulted in 793,000 fewer skier visits, 650 fewer jobs, $54 million lower ski area revenue, and $41 million less associated economic activity because of low snowfall winters.
If greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise — they grew 41 percent between 1990 and 2008 — then snowfall, skiing and snowmobiling will no longer exist as we know them by the end of this century.
Artificial snow-making now helps to cover 88 percent of ski resorts, and has become the stopgap measure to defend against the early effects of climate change. But snow-making requires a tremendous amount of electricity and water, so it’s unlikely that snow guns will be our savior.
Wildlife will also be affected. The New Hampshire moose population is already coping with more tick borne diseases (as are humans). Frogs and other amphibians are being affected with egg mass and tadpole die-offs. Various native plant species are disappearing with the invasion of non-native species (purple loosestrife, knotweed, glossy buckweed, fagmities), and with the warmer weather southern species will establish themselves further and further north, stressing native New Hampshire plants such as wild orchids, asters, and lilies. Migratory birds are also being adversely affected.
These changes in New Hampshire’s climate are projected to increase in severity in the future and, if left unchecked, have the potential to significantly change the state’s economy and our way of life by the end of this century.
How can we help to slow this process? Here are some suggestions that are neither difficult nor inconvenient:
Drive a fuel-efficient vehicle with properly inflated tires. If you have two cars, drive the one that gets better mileage across town for your errands. Each gallon of gasoline your car consumes emits over nineteen pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Going further on each gallon of gas puts less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent (CFL) or LED bulbs if you haven’t done so already. Both CFL and LED bulbs use 75 percent less electricity and last 10-25 times longer than incandescent bulbs.
Caulk and weather-strip doors and windows and turn down the thermostat when not at home and at night when sleeping.
Install “low-flow” showerheads and faucets, and turn your hot water heater down to 120 degrees.
Buy energy-efficient electronics and appliances noted with Energy Star label, and your utility company to do a free audit to illustrate how else you can save on your energy bill.
Of course, recycle!