Things Are Heating Up in Hanover

Enjoy Winter Carnival while it lasts, because it may not. Hanover is not immune to the rising temperatures affecting the entire globe. In the lead up to our annual winter extravaganza, The Dartmouth Review sat down with Professor Erich Osterberg of the Earth Sciences Department to discuss the ways that the changing climate may affect Hanover and the Upper Valley in the coming years. Professor Osterberg is one of Dartmouth’s newest tenured professors and a specialist in climate dynamics.  He informed The Review that the two biggest effects of climate change facing the Upper Valley, and indeed much of the globe, are rising annual temperatures and the increase of extreme storms. These extreme storms include hurricanes like Hurricane Irene that devastated the Upper Valley, summer thunderstorms that cause flash flooding near the Connecticut River, and nor’easters that blanket the campus in snow. Yet, despite the impact that these storms have on campus and the surrounding area, the greatest danger is the rising annual temperatures that may cause winter in Hanover to change forever.

As Professor Osterberg explained, over the last one hundred years, Hanover and the surrounding area have warmed by about two to three degrees Farenheit per year on average. This warming is most severe during the winter; average winter temperatures have risen approximately three to four degrees over the past century, more than the average for the rest of the seasons. To put those numbers in perspective, Professor Osterberg highlighted the fact that, during the last ice age, Hanover was only an average of eight to nine degrees colder than it is today. During that time, Hanover was also buried under a mile of solid ice. This warming trend over the past century is thus quite drastic and will change winter at Dartmouth in dramatic ways.

Traditions, while seemingly inconsequential to the outside world, are held dear here at the College. Unfortunately, traditions like the Polar Plunge on Occom Pond or ice sculpture carving on the Green may very well become things of the past. Professor Osterberg commented that one of his favorite Winter Carnival traditions, the cross country skiing races, are already in such a state. These races, traditionally held here on campus, have now been permanently moved to Craftsbury, VT where there are artificial snow making facilities. The snowfall has become so low that Hanover is no longer a reliable venue for the event. The previously referenced Polar Plunge is also increasingly less viable due to the rising temperatures. In the winter of 2016, it was so warm during Winter Carnival that it was not safe for students walk onto Occom and participate in the event. Instead, the College was forced to erect a small swimming pool on the Green for students to jump into. It is possible that the same structure will be necessary this year as the College faces a week of warm temperatures reaching into the high forties and low fifties in the lead-up to Winter Carnival.

In addition to the infringement on student recreation, these temperatures have very serious and tangible effects on the economy of the Upper Valley. Given that a large portion of the Upper Valley economy is driven by winter tourism, specifically skiing, these rising temperatures pose a real threat.  All the downhill skiways have been forced to acquire some form of artificial snow manufacturing, however many of the small skiways in the area will not be able to keep pace with need for manufactured snow as annual snowfall continues to drop.  Even now the Dartmouth Skiway struggles to maintain season-long skiing as they battle both low snowfall and frequent rain-on-snow storms which turn their slopes to ice. Based on recent research, Professor Osterberg and his colleagues’ project that within the lifetime of most current students the only skiway in the area that will be able to keep pace with the changing climate is Sugarbush. While Sugarbush is a beautiful venue, most students prefer to stay local for their skiing due to both financial and scheduling constraints. If temperatures continue to rise unchecked, a weekend skiing with friends could become a difficult feat for many Dartmouth students.

Skiing is just one facet of the “bucolic” winter that Dartmouth has been marketing to students for centuries. The term marketing is not meant to be derogatory. We at The Review are quite fond of the traditional New England winter that Dartmouth offers and understand why the college uses it as a selling point particularly in comparison to the gray and wet winters experienced by many of our comparable schools on the East Coast. Spending a beautiful winter day on campus when the Green is covered in a foot of fresh snow and the sun is shining is seeing Dartmouth at its best; it is regretful that future generations of students may not experience it.

Professor Osterberg, clearly not an alarmist by nature, addressed these concerns quite calmly. He stated firmly that he sees no positive side to the fear-mongering surrounding global warming that gets frequent national attention. He instead was quite clear stating that while anthropogenic climate change is a large problem, it is also one that can be addressed. He points out that the opportunity to address these problems is not merely an incumbent responsibility upon a regional leader like Dartmouth College or a global leader like the United States, but rather an opportunity for both Dartmouth and the United States to capitalize on an emerging industry: renewable energy. To focus on the College, Professor Osterberg praised President Hanlon’s plan run the College entirely using renewable energy by 2050. He also praised the work of the Dartmouth Sustainability Office, which does extensive work on campus to involve students in environmental initiatives. Professor Osterberg closed his comments stating that he hopes the College “will double down on their commitment to the environment” and in doing so invest in the future of its students both recreationally and professionally.