The deployment of snowmaking in the French ski tourism industry: a path development approach

Berard-Chenu, Lucas; François, Hugues; Morin, Samuel; George, Emmanuelle

doi:10.1080/13683500.2022.2151876

Cited by 11 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…Also, water storage for snowmaking is only considered here in terms of water amounts and the related alteration of the water cycle but does not address other environmental impacts on biodiversity and mountain landscape related to the construction and use of mountain water reservoirs and surrounding ski resorts. Implications relevant to the positioning of snowmaking and ski tourism within the future path development of mountain tourism and broader mountain economies (Steiger et al, 2022;Berard-Chenu et al, 2023;Scott et al, 2022;François et al, 2023) are beyond the scope of this particular study, which solely focuses on downstream hydrological impacts.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Simulated hydrological effects of grooming and snowmaking in a ski resort on the local water balance

Morin,

François,

Réveillet

et al. 2023

Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.

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Abstract. The presence of a ski resort modifies the snow cover at the local scale, due to snow management practices on ski pistes, especially grooming and snowmaking. Snow management exerts 2-fold effects on the local hydrological cycle, through (i) abstraction and transfer of water used for snowmaking, and (ii) changes in water runoff due to added snow mass through snowmaking and/or delayed melting of the snowpack due to snow grooming. This induces a local pressure on water resources, which has seldom been addressed in scientific studies hitherto. Here we introduce a method to compute the hydrological effects of snow management on ski pistes and we apply and illustrate its results for the case study of the La Plagne ski resort in the Northern French Alps. The approach mainly relies on snow cover modelling using the Crocus snow cover driven by SAFRAN reanalysis and climate projections. Model results are evaluated against in-situ hydrological observations and show that the modelling approach, although very simplified for many hydrological processes, provides relevant information and insights in terms of the influence of snow-related processes on water resources. Our study shows a visible impact of grooming, virtually eliminating snowmelt in winter, thus delaying the onset of snowmelt. This results is a lower snowmelt flux during the wintertime, low flow period, on the order of −10 % to −20 %, compensated by higher amounts when snow melts. While about 10 % of the water used for snowmaking is estimated to be lost by evaporation through the ice formation process from the liquid water droplets, we find that, in the case studied, the annual scale alteration of water resources is limited and estimated to be on the order of 1 % to 2 %. This is due to the fact that the amount of water used for snowmaking on ski pistes represents a fraction of 10 % to 20 % of total annual precipitation, that ski pistes cover typically 10 % of the surface area of catchments within which ski resorts are located, and that snowmaking equipment covers, in the case of La Plagne, 40 % of the surface area of ski pistes. Therefore, in this case, snowmaking mainly leads to a moderate shift in snow cover formation and snowmelt processes and plays, for example, a smaller role than the influence of future climate change on mountain hydrology. This study provides an initial overview of the influence of grooming and snowmaking on river flows in a mountain catchment, which can inform future studies on water management and climate change adaptation in areas with ski tourism facilities. This study does not discuss long-term sustainability challenges of ski tourism and other aspects of the local environmental impacts (landscape, biodiversity) of snow management, such as the construction and use of mountain water reservoirs and other earthworks in ski resorts.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Simulated hydrological effects of grooming and snowmaking in a ski resort on the local water balance

Morin,

François,

Réveillet

et al. 2023

Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.

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“…Correspondingly, however, it is not certain whether this configuration really constitutes a reliable survival strategy for the future or whether what have been captured here are only the last temporary survivors of progressive cut-throat competition. Especially since the path dependencies described by Berard-Chenu et al (2022c:2) also exist for isolated lifts, it is not certain whether these isolated lifts can respond to crises caused by climate change or fewer skiers and, if they can, how.…”

Section: Non-lsap Outcomementioning

confidence: 99%

Die another day: explanations based on qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) for the survival and non-survival of isolated ski lifts in Switzerland

Schlegel,

Schuck

2024

Geogr. Helv.

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Abstract. In the form of an explorative empirical study, this paper deals with the reasons for the survival and demise of isolated Swiss ski lifts. For the first time, all isolated lifts documented in Switzerland have been recorded and coded according to a total of six conditions. Using a set-theoretical research method in the form of qualitative comparative analysis (QCA), the study aims to identify the necessary conditions and configurations of sufficient conditions explaining (non-)survival. It transpires that closed isolated lifts tend to be outdated and have no technical snowmaking facilities. Moreover, it has become evident that the simultaneous occurrence of the lack of lift facility replacement, lack of technical snowmaking and high ski area competition has caused the closure of most isolated lifts. Low natural snow depth and low elevation difference, conversely, have not had a measurable impact. The causes for the survival of isolated lifts, by contrast, are extremely heterogeneous.

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“…Outdoor winter tourism and recreational activities are reliant on low temperatures and snowfall conditions, with wide agreement that inter-annual climatic variability impacts, and will continue to impact, the length and quality of winter seasons (i.e., rising temperatures, reduced natural snowfall) [1]. To date, the impact of climate change on winter tourism has predominantly focused on the ski industry [2,3], which highlights the indispensable role of snowmaking to offset marginal winter conditions (e.g., a shortened snow season, reduced depth of snowpack, poor quality snow) and enhance destination competitiveness [4,5]. However, not all snow-dependent tourism activities have the adaptive capacity to lengthen the winter season via snowmaking, snow farming, or artificial surfaces [6].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Snowmobiling and Climate Change: Exploring Shifts in Snowmobile Activity Using a Temporal Analogue Approach in Ontario (Canada)

Rutty,

Cardwell,

Gunn

2023

Tourism and Hospitality

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The multi-billion-dollar snowmobile industry is predicated on natural snowfall and cold temperatures, with a near absence of research that examines industry response to climatic variability and change. Using a temporal analogue approach, this study examines 30 years of climate data (1989–2019), along with operational (grooming hours) and performance (permit sales) indicators, to provide insight into the vulnerability and adaptive capacity of the Ontario snowmobile industry in a medium (RCP4.5) and high (RCP8.5) mid-century (2046–2060) emission scenario. The results underscore important temporal and spatial variability across Ontario’s 16 snowmobile districts, indicating that snowmobilers are highly resilient to marginal conditions, changing districts and switching from seasonal to daily permits in response to warming temperatures. The findings from this study can inform risk assessments in other major snowmobile markets (e.g., Canada, Europe, USA), with future research needs discussed.

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The deployment of snowmaking in the French ski tourism industry: a path development approach

Cited by 11 publications

References 50 publications

Simulated hydrological effects of grooming and snowmaking in a ski resort on the local water balance

Simulated hydrological effects of grooming and snowmaking in a ski resort on the local water balance

Die another day: explanations based on qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) for the survival and non-survival of isolated ski lifts in Switzerland

Snowmobiling and Climate Change: Exploring Shifts in Snowmobile Activity Using a Temporal Analogue Approach in Ontario (Canada)

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