New York Winter Recreation

With thousands of miles of snowmobile and snowshoeing trails, hundreds of frozen lakes for ice fishing and pond hockey, and over 50 ski areas—more than any other state in the nation—New Yorkers have many winter recreation opportunities. But winters in the region are getting warming—since 1970 winter temperatures have increased about 1.3°F per decade. As a result, more precipitation falls as rain and less as snow, and the snow that does fall melts faster. Under the higher-emissions scenario, much of New York state can expect half the typical number of snow-covered days by late-century, with a roughly one-quarter decline under the lower-emissions scenario.