An unusually early snow season has started in Idaho, with one ski resort learning how to adapt to changing seasons.
A study from Boise State University found that since the 80s, snow seasons in Idaho have progressively gotten shorter due to climate change. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration alsopredicts the warming of the planet will lead to more extreme winter weather in the state.
It’s hard to tell where this winter is headed. Susan Saad of the nonprofit Bogus Basin resort said this kind of snowfall in the Treasure Valley is unusual this early in December
“This year we've been lucky with the natural snowfall that we received, but in recent years we have been able to open the area on machine made snow,” she said.
Snow season opened on November 19, the earliest opening it’s had in 28 years. Over the weekend, it saw eight inches of snowfall, on top of a 50-inch base.
“What we've done over the last several years is introduced a comprehensive master plan to the area to not only mitigate the effects of climate change as it relates to the dependency of snow conditions, but also to take advantage of our operations in the summer too,” Saad said.
Anticipating shifts in weather, the Bogus Basin also expanded its night skiing offerings, with slopes open until 10p.m. daily.
