Snowmobilers in Vermont are experiencing negative effects from climate change, according to a University of Vermont study.
The number of days with more than an inch of snow in Vermont has dropped from 130 in 1960 to 75 today.
Lead author Elizabeth Perry and colleagues surveyed over 1,400 members of the Vermont Association of Snow Travelers and found the riders have noticed the changing conditions.
"We found that 45 percent of respondents have already noticed a decline in the length of the season in which they'll be able to snowmobile, and a third of these respondents have correspondingly decreased the amount of time that they snowmobile in Vermont."
Perry said reduced snowfall affects snowmobile riders more than alpine or nordic skiers because snowmobile trails are deeper and longer, and located at lower elevations.
A decline in snowmobiling in Vermont will likely have economic consequences.
