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Snow problem or no problem? Resorts concerned as ski season heats up

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Snow problem or no problem? Resorts concerned as ski season heats up


WARREN, Vt. (WCAX) – Based on the WCAX Climate Crew, Vermont’s winters have warmed a median of about 5-6 levels since 1970. It’s a regarding pattern for one in all Vermont’s keystone industries– snowboarding.

So how are resorts weathering the warming local weather? I obtained a peek backstage on the Sugarbush Resort with a tour by means of their snowmaking hub, the place huge programs guarantee if you wish to ski, they’ve terrain open.

“We push water up from the Mad River to right here and these pumps right here increase the stress and push the water up onto the hill,” stated Shawn Patenaude, the supervisor of snowmaking at Sugarbush. “Our snowmaking season is November by means of January, three months or 91 days primarily.”

It’s a course of rooted in shifting huge quantities of water from the Mad River to Lincoln Peak or Mount Ellen, combining it with compressed air in sub-freezing temperatures. It’s described to me as an artwork, capitalizing on home windows of near-perfect situations, although these home windows are shrinking.

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“If we’re taking a look at 90 days and we will solely do it in 60,” Patenaude stated.

The snowmakers say unstable climate patterns of fluctuating temperatures, rain occasions and excessive humidity over the previous couple of many years throw a wrench into ski resort operations.

Based on climate information, we see roughly the identical quantity of snow yearly however it doesn’t stick round.

“Once you get these extra frequent bursts of heat, that’s going to be more durable to maintain the snow on the bottom, to maintain the snowpack thick,” WCAX Meteorologist Jess Langlois defined.

These fluctuating temperatures not solely harm our snow accumulation between storms however maintain again what trade leaders say is a vital operation.

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“Snowmaking can be a sustainability software that enables ski resorts to open on time and function by means of the season,” stated Molly Mahar of Ski Vermont.

Mahar says as winters heat, Vermont is already leaning on snowmaking as a crutch to open trails early within the yr and hold them open.

The climate earlier than Christmas was an incredible example– heat temperatures and rain closed about 20% of open terrain statewide on Christmas Eve, however by the flip of the brand new week, many resorts had been in a position to reopen what was misplaced after which some due to freezing temperatures.

“We might not have the terrain open this vacation week that we do with out snowmaking,” Mahar stated.

Again on the coronary heart of the snowmaking operation, the workforce says in smaller home windows of ultimate time, it’s a race in opposition to Mom Nature, taking most benefit of optimum snowmaking time.

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“Make snow extra rapidly, push extra water onto the hill, be extra environment friendly about our operation,” Patenaude stated.

However questions have been raised about how far more environment friendly they will get.

“If we’re at some extent of diminishing returns, if the efficiencies we will put into our programs are all realized,” Patenaude stated.

Regardless of the warming winters, unstable climate patterns and maxing out effectivity, they nonetheless think about the snowmaking course of and are decided to profit from the software.

“Finally, we wish as many individuals up there snowboarding as attainable,” Patenaude stated.

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Vermont

Teen drug use varies by state. Here’s how Vermont compares.

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Teen drug use varies by state. Here’s how Vermont compares.


While teen drug use has largely declined, the latest data from the National Surveys on Drug Use and Health shows moderate differences by state. In Vermont, an estimated 9.4% of teens had used an illicit drug in the past month, making it the #8 state for teen drug use.

Read the national analysis to see which states had the highest rates of teen drug use.

Drug use is generally higher in some Western states, including New Mexico, where 13.7% of teens had used drugs in the past month. This is in line with larger trends, as New Mexico has had some of the highest rates of alcohol and drug-related deaths in the country for decades. A 2023 report from the state’s legislature found fewer teens are using drugs than they were a decade ago, but overdoses are on the rise.

Northeastern states including Rhode Island and Massachusetts also have some of the highest rates of teen drug use. Again, this is in line with larger regional trends, as New England has felt the outsized impact of the opioid crisis.

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States with the lowest rates of teen drug use were Alabama and Utah, with both at around 5%. However, both states have experienced a rise in opioid deaths in recent years. In 2023, Alabama launched the Odds Are Alabama campaign to raise awareness and prevent fentanyl-related overdose deaths.

Story editing by Cynthia Rebolledo. Additional editing by Kelly Glass and Elisa Huang. Copy editing by Tim Bruns.

This story features data reporting and writing by Elena Cox and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states and Washington D.C.

This story originally appeared on Substance Use Treatment Facilities and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.

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Vermont disaster recovery centers to close temporarily on election day

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Vermont disaster recovery centers to close temporarily on election day


All Federal Emergency Management Agency Disaster Recovery Centers in Vermont will be closed on Tuesday, Nov. 5, the day of the general election.

The Green Mountain State’s three disaster recovery centers − set up to assist Vermonters impacted by the storms and floods on July 11-13 and July 29-31 − are located in the Hinesburg Town Hall, Lyndon Public Safety Facility and the Newport Municipal Building.

The Hinesburg site, which is used as a polling station, will also be closed on Nov. 4 to prepare for the election.

The Newport and Lyndon sites are slated to reopen on Nov. 6, while the Hinesburg location will reopen the following day to give employees time to transition the site back to a disaster recovery center.

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Regular hours of operation for all three recovery centers are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

Megan Stewart is a government accountability reporter for the Burlington Free Press. Contact her at mstewartyounger@gannett.com.



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Connecticut wins against Vermont Catamounts in overtime – The Rink Live

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Connecticut wins against Vermont Catamounts in overtime – The Rink Live


The teams were tied after 60 minutes but overtime saw Connecticut come away with the close win over Vermont Catamounts at home on Sunday, November 02, 2024.

The final score was 6-5.

UConn’s

Tristan Fraser

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scored the game-winning goal.

The Huskies scored three goals in first period an held the lead 3-2 going in to the first break.

One goal were scored in the second period, the score being tied at 3-3 going in to the third period.

The Huskies took the lead within the first minute of the third period when

Ethan Whitcomb

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found the back of the net, assisted by

Kai Janviriya

and

Kaden Shahan

.

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Massimo Lombardi

tied it up 4-4 with a goal five minutes later, assisted by

Joel Maatta

.

Tabor Heaslip

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took the lead with a goal seven minutes later.

The Catamounts tied the score 5-5 with 60 seconds remaining of the third after a goal from

Colin Kessler

.

In overtime, it took 4:14 before Tristan Fraser scored the game-winner for the home team, assisted by

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Trey Scott

and

Ryan Tattle

.

Coming up:

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Both teams will be back in action on Friday, November 08, 2024 when the Huskies hosts Merrimack at 6 p.m. CST and the Catamounts welcomes Massachusetts at 6 p.m. CST.

Read more college hockey coverage

Automated articles produced by United Robots on behalf of The Rink Live.

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