MAINE MORNING STAR • October 16, 2025
With evolving technology and strategic snowmaking, snowmakers say they expect to keep skiers on the trails this winter despite current water shortages. But like warming winters, recurring late-summer droughts are part of a larger climate change-driven pattern that has complicated the task of running a ski resort in the Northeast. While technology upgrades can help, experts said they also recognize that the industry is changing in ways that can’t be circumvented. When water is limited and thaws increasingly common, one team has adapted to making less snow at the beginning of the season, then returning to their trails later in the year to add more. Some resorts engage in “snow farming,” using insulation to preserve heaps of snow through above-freezing temperatures so it can later be put to use for winter sports.