It is unusually warm in many parts of the country this week, but are we really losing winter due to global warming? Probably, at least in some parts of the country. For example, the winter sport industry is being heavily affected by global warming, according to E, The Environmental Magazine.

2006 was the warmest year on record in the U.S. and 1998 was the second warmest. Temperatures in the Northeast are likely to rise 8 to 12 degrees F by the end of this century and snow days could be reduced in half.

Skiing may also become a thing of the past. For example, in the Northeast, by the end of the century, only western Maine will support a reliable ski season of at least two months, according to a report from the Union of Concerned Scientists.

New Hampshire had 65 downhill ski areas in the 1970s and now only 20 remain, according to Cliff Brown at the University of New Hampshire. New Hampshire winters have warmed up 3.8 degrees F this century and snow-making alone hasn't been enough, especially for the low-lying family facilities. The resorts that remain, according to Brown, are large and located at higher elevations.

[Via ENN]