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Syracuse Business Reacts to Record Low Snow This Winter Syracuse Business Reacts to Record Low Snow This Winter

By Jacob Goldberg

(***JACOB***)
The City of Syracuse – the snow capital of the United States – 30,000 tons of rock salt, and over 100 snow removal trucks Hit its roads each year. But in 2024 that has all changed…

This year the salt city is seeing less snow than ever. The city brings in 88 inches of snow per year, but this year that number is 28… Bill Hane the operations manager at the four seasons ski center says he has had to change how the business operates

(***BILL***)
We have beefed up our snowmaking capabilities in the past few years….

(***JACOB***)
THEY HAVE TO USE ARTIFICIAL SNOW MAKERS BEHIND ME. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS IMPACTING THE FINANCES BEHIND THE BUSINESS.

(***DAVID***)
It’s more expensive…It is Gonna be necessary to run a ski resort

(***JACOB***)
That was the voice of Syracuse University Professor David Popp. Popp specializes in climate change economics and mentions how Hane and other business owners will have to spend more money on climate adaptation. For Hane, he says that the use of the machines uses a lot of energy.

(***BILL***)
It uses a lot of power and is expensive

(***JACOB***)
That increased electric bill isn’t the only challenge facing the business, says Hane. For Four Seasons, the seasons themselves are becoming shorter.

(***BILL***)
Into January we are usually good but this year we have pumped a lot more…

(***JACOB***)
For a place known to have a 100 percent chance of snow, the increased temperatures are no longer making it a guarantee.

FAYETVILLE, N.Y. (NCC News) – The City of Syracuse is the snow capital of the United States. Each year 30,000 tons of rock salt and over 100 snow removal trucks hit its roads. However, in 2024 Salt City is seeing record low snowfall. The city brings in 88 inches of snow per year, but this year that number is 28 inches. 

“We have had to change how we operate and rely more on artificial snow,” says Bill Hane.

Bill is the Operations Manager at the Four Seasons Ski Center and his business is just one of many across Central New York that need snow to drive in business and a profit.

David Popp, a professor at Syracuse University says  “it is going to become normal for ski resorts to have to rely on artificial snow…this is going to make it more expensive.”

That increased electric bill isn’t the only challenge facing the business, says Hane. For Four Seasons, the seasons themselves are becoming shorter.

He states that “going into January [they] are usually set but this year [they] have pumped a lot more snow sooner.”

Global temperatures have risen about 2 degrees Fahrenheit since 1980. This has created increasing challenges for seasonal businesses and it does not seem to be slowing anytime soon.

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