Snowlastalgia
From philosopher Glenn Albrecht, the term “solastalgia” combines the Latin word for comfort—“solacium”—and “-algia”, —the Greek root for pain—to capture the complex feeling of “being homesick while still at home”.
Skiers and snowboarders, feel this solastalgia acutely every winter—how many more years will I be able to enjoy this sport? Will there be enough snow in the future to pass this tradition on to my grandchildren?
Snowlastalgia
Visualizing skiing & climate change
The word “solastalgia" is a combination of “solacium", the Latin word for comfort, and “-algia", the Greek root for pain.
Philosopher Glenn Albrecht is first credited with coining this term in relation to climate anxiety—namely, we’re already nostalgic for the disappearing world we are currently living in.
Skiers and snowboarders, feel this solastalgia acutely every winter—
How many more years will I be able to enjoy this sport?
How many more seasons will my local resort be open?
Will there be enough snow in the future to pass this tradition on to my grandchildren?
In 2017, a team of researchers attempted to answer these very questions by studying 247 ski resorts and using climate models to predict season lengths, visits, and revenue.
Snowlastalgia is built upon this data in an attempt to compare the outlook on skiing between the years 2010, 2050, and 2090.
Snowlastalgia
From philosopher Glenn Albrecth, the term “solastalgia” combines the Latin word for comfort—“solacium”—and “-algia”, —the Greek root for pain—to capture the complex feeling of “being homesick while still at home”.
Skiers and snowboarders, feel this solastalgia acutely every winter—how many more years will I be able to enjoy this sport? Will there be enough snow in the future to pass this tradition on to my grandchildren?
Reading the snow
The number of resorts in a region is represented by the center of each snowflake.
There are 6 regions, as defined by the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA): Pacific Northwest, Pacific Southwest, Rocky Mountains, Midwest, Northeast, and Southeast.
Length of Season
The estimated number of days in the downhill ski season is represented by the size of the next ice crystal.
The length of the season is based on projections of both the amount of natural snow and ability to create man-made snow.
Length of Season
The estimated number of visits to resorts in the region is represented by the size of the spikes.
Rinse & Repeat
Each “arm” is then repeated 6x around the central hexagon to create a unique snowflake for each region.
Fun fact: While it’s a common saying that no two snowflakes are identical, almost every snowflake is 6-sided, due to the molecular structure of water.
Pacific Northwest
Source: Projected climate change impacts on skiing and snowmobiling: A case study of the United States. (Wobus et al., 2017)
Note: Visits and Resorts regional totals. Days and Lift Ticket Prices are regional averages. 2050 and 2090 Resorts include only those projected to have 30 or more days.
Rocky Mountains
Source: Projected climate change impacts on skiing and snowmobiling: A case study of the United States. (Wobus et al., 2017)
Note: Visits and Resorts regional totals. Days and Lift Ticket Prices are regional averages. 2050 and 2090 Resorts include only those projected to have 30 or more days.
Northeast
Source: Projected climate change impacts on skiing and snowmobiling: A case study of the United States. (Wobus et al., 2017)
Note: Visits and Resorts regional totals. Days and Lift Ticket Prices are regional averages. 2050 and 2090 Resorts include only those projected to have 30 or more days.
Pacific Southwest
Source: Projected climate change impacts on skiing and snowmobiling: A case study of the United States. (Wobus et al., 2017)
Note: Visits and Resorts regional totals. Days and Lift Ticket Prices are regional averages. 2050 and 2090 Resorts include only those projected to have 30 or more days.
Midwest
Source: Projected climate change impacts on skiing and snowmobiling: A case study of the United States. (Wobus et al., 2017)
Note: Visits and Resorts regional totals. Days and Lift Ticket Prices are regional averages. 2050 and 2090 Resorts include only those projected to have 30 or more days.
Southeast
Source: Projected climate change impacts on skiing and snowmobiling: A case study of the United States. (Wobus et al., 2017)
Note: *Visits and Resorts regional totals. *Days and Lift Ticket Prices are regional averages. *2050 & 2090 Resorts include only those projected to have 30 or more days.
Explore the Map
There are 6 regions defined by the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA).
Rocky Mountains
States: CO, ID, MT, NM, UT, WY
Resorts: 68
Season: 122 days
Snowfall: 275 in.
Revenue: $22.8 M
Pacific Northwest
States: OR, WA
Resorts: 22
Season: 121 days
Snowfall: 329 in.
Revenue: $11.5 M
Northeast
States: CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, RI, VT
Resorts: 57
Season: 111 days
Snowfall: 114 in.
Revenue: $9 M
U.S. Ski Industry Snapshot
2013/14 - 2022/23 Seasons
So, what's the worry?
If attendance and revenues at ski resorts are still on the rise and snowfall and season length, while variable, are still hovering around an average, why is everyone anxious about the end of downhill snow sports?
Read the Story
Dive into the story behind the snowflakes and learn more about climate change and the ski industry.
See the Swag
Get your regional snowflake in sticker form and spread the word about the future of skiing in your area.
Save the Snow
Learn more about ways you can donate or take action to help save the future of snowsports.
More on Snowlastalgia
There are 6 regions defined by the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA).
Enviornment, Animals
Religion
Human Services
Education
Foundations
International Affairs
Health
Arts, Culture
Public Society
Individuals
2022 Donations by Category
USD, Billions
Investing in our futures
What can we do with these feelings of snowlastalgia? How can we help change the future of skiing?
One way is through donating to causes that are already involved in climate activism.
Unfortunately, according to Giving USA, in 2022, the environment was one of the least donated-to categories.
How much should
I donate?
This is largely a personal choice and should be based on your individual financial situation, but as a benchmark: Americans donate about 2% of their disposable personal income.
Americans donate about 2% of their disposable personal income
Protect Our Winters
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Charity Watch
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Buy a Sticker
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Where should I donate?
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
Volunteer
Keep Learning
Spread the Word
The Climate Advocate's Handbook
What if I can't donate?
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.