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Chasing Snow: Northern Michigan ski resorts adapt to a warmer world

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It’s been a soggy couple of years for skiers and snowboarders. So, what keeps us coming back? From crockpot warming stations to cutting-edge snow-making technology, Northern Michigan ski resorts pull out all the stops to keep winter lovers happy—and stay one step ahead of Mother Nature. Resorts need about 72 hours of temperatures that stay below 28 degrees to lay a base and open terrain for skiing. “The ski industry in Michigan happens because of snowmaking. There’s no other way to say it,” said Ben Doornbos, general manager at Nub’s Nob near Harbor Springs. “Our product is the snow.”

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Saving cherries, saving farms

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Cherries are the calling card of Northern Michigan. They represent our home, just as citrus speaks for Florida, or as lobsters lobby for Maine. Here in the North, orchards define our landscape, U-Picking is a cherished tradition and a slice of pie means “I love you.” But cherry farmers these days face a perfect storm of challenges, from environmental to political. Erratic swings in temperature caused by climate change threaten cherry buds in the spring; cheap foreign imports have undercut prices that U.S. farmers can expect to earn; workers needed to harvest crops have grown scarce due to unaffordable housing prices and restrictive national immigration policies; and the local real estate frenzy has disincentivized growers from staying on their land when they can sell their orchards for millions.

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Rothwell talks farming in unpredictable weather

Leland Township Public Library will host Nikki Rothwell, Ph.D, on Thursday, Sept. 12, at 10 am as the final installment of its Leland Library Summinars series. Agriculture is a challenging occupation, and climate change has made this job even more difficult. Attend to hear about how the variable climate is impacting local farmers and how research and outreach programming are trying to address this key factor that is influencing how we grow fruit in northwest Michigan.

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Early February Hoar Frost mesmerizes Leelanau

“Hoar frost,” a feathery frost that forms as a result of specific climate conditions, covered trees and branches throughout Leelanau County on Sunday, Feb. 4, inspiring countless photos and conversations. The prematurely melting snow and the impacts of global warming on northern Michigan’s winter created a layer of fog that blanketed the region in an eery but beautiful landscape. According to the Woodland Trust, the UK’s largest woodland conservation charity, “the word ‘hoar’ comes from old English and refers to the old age appearance of the frost: the way the ice crystals form makes it look like white hair or a beard.

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Want predictable winters? Climate Change says ‘Forget it’

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It’s winter, but the first half of January didn’t look or feel like it. “It’s milder than normal. It may turn colder toward the end of the month,” said Jeff Zoltowski, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. Leelanau resident and retired meteorologist Dave Barrons, a familiar face on local television for many years, says climate change is making expectations based on past years less reliable. “We’ve added more carbon dioxide to the air. Carbon dioxide holds more heat,” he said.

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Investing in clean energy, from Washington, D.C., to Leelanau

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The U.S. Senate has passed its historic climate change legislation, and the House of Representatives is expected to soon follow suit and send to President Biden to sign the bill. The political victory comes not a moment too soon, with a rapidly warming planet striking communities with one climate-related disaster after another. Leelanau County, too, is enjoying the momentum of the clean energy movement. Earlier this summer, Leelanau Energy launched its “Energize Leelanau Challenge” initiative to locate clean energy or energy efficiency projects in the county that are shovel-ready and that benefit communities, and help fund them with seed money totaling between $250 and $15,000 per project.

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High water, Dollar General top Glen Arbor Sun’s 2019 stories

It was the year of high water, as Lake Michigan water levels nearly eclipsed their all-time record—just six years after setting their all-time low. That made beach walking difficult; it exacerbated conflicts over beach-walking rights along riparian-owned property; it made the reality of Climate Change even more dire, and it contributed to flooding in Leland’s historic Fishtown.

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Leelanau School students walk out to protest Climate Change

Student activist Liam Bottoms led Leelanau School students to join in the worldwide walkout to protest against global climate change on Thursday, Sept. 20. Millions of Students and many adults from around the world walked out of schools and workplaces to demand immediate action against climate change. The walkout was planned ahead of the United Nations General Assembly and Climate Action Summit which will be held on September 23.

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Cherry farmers of tomorrow battle pests, cheap imports, climate change

The mean age of our local cherry growers is nearing 60. The future generation of cherry farmers, i.e. those 40 and under, number about a dozen, and the path ahead is not looking clear.

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Cold and wet—no more global warming?

Our unusual cold weather is actually caused by global warming. Our extremely cold winter was outbalanced by simultaneous record-breaking heat in Australia. Meanwhile, the Arctic continues to be warmer than normal. That affects everything above the equator.

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