• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
• /
• v.43 no.5
• /
• pp.715-727
• /
• 2008

This study analyzed changes on the best condition of temperature and relative humidity for making artificial snows in the Yongpyong Ski Resort using data from Daegwallyeong. Depth of snowfall and snowfall days have decrease since 1990s. If the Yongpyong Ski Resort has only to depend on natural snows, it would be difficult to make and maintain ski slope. There are two times of snowmaking during ski seasons: one is the first snowmaking (October-November) for opening ski slopes and the other is the reinforcement of snowmaking (December-March) for maintaining snow quality during the seasons. Days having the best condition for the first snowmaking (daily minimum temperature below $-1^{\circ}C$ and daily average relative humidity 60 to 80 percent) decreased after 1970s. Days having the best condition for the reinforcement of snowmaking also decreased. While temperature changes are more evident than humidity changes for the first snowmaking, humidity changes are more obvious than change of temperature for the reinforcement of snowmaking. In the future climate projection by A1B scenarios, the length of ski seasons projected to decrease a 10 to 40 percent against the period of 1973-2008. The climate condition for the snowmaking projected to be poor, especially the due to increase of temperature.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
• /
• v.45 no.4
• /
• pp.444-460
• /
• 2010

This study analyzed the changes in climate elements that affects the opening and closing dates of the ski resorts, and the snowmaking. Climatology data from the weather stations adjacent to the ski resorts in the central region of Korea were analysed to understand the snowmakig status. The fan type snowmaker has been used in the capital region (over 94% of the whole snowmaking), while the gun type snowmaker has been used in Yongpyong. There has been obviously an increased trend of the daily minimum temperature in November in Daegwallyeong and a little decreased trend in Icheon after 1980s. That caused the effect on the opening dates of the ski resort in the capital region of Korea during 2000s. Closing dates of ski resorts were earlier in the capital region (with $2{\sim}4^{\circ}C$ of daily maximum temperature in mid-February) than in Yongpyong. The obviously increasing rate of the snowmelting day in Icheon also hardened the management and maintenance of the ski resorts in the capital region of Korea.