KENNEBEC JOURNAL • December 9, 2024
Maine’s snowmobile industry and the businesses that depend on the tourists it brings to the state are bracing for the uncertain snow levels and potentially warmer temperatures brought by climate change. The National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center said Maine’s meteorological winter, which started Dec. 1 and runs until the end of February, will likely come with above-average temperatures and near-normal precipitation levels. But which kind of precipitation falls in those storms – and how much – can have significant impact on the state’s winter tourism industry, which last year attracted nearly 4.4 million visitors who snowmobiled, skied and fished as they spent more than $2 billion. Snowmobiling, which relies on natural snow, is particularly vulnerable.