Where is the snow?
With seven years to prepare and a budget of about $2 billion, organizers have nearly everything in place for next month’s Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Except…….snow!!!
A dearth of snow, and dim forecasts showing not a flake in the near future and temperatures too warm to manufacture it with machines, have forced Olympic organizers to go to the much-dreaded contingency plan at Cypress Mountain, where six skiing and snowboarding events are scheduled to be held.
The Games will go on, but not without some massive maneuvering. Snow, some man-made and stockpiled during the season, will be brought in from higher elevations by land (snow-moving equipment and dump trucks) and possibly air (a helicopter), according to the Vancouver Organizing Committee.
In some cases straw and wood forms will be used as foundations and topped with snow, further reducing the amount of snow needed. At least one helicopter is already in action, moving straw bales that will give shape to competition courses normally made entirely of snow.
“Our team at Cypress Mountain is working around the clock to preserve and protect the snow, and we’re confident that these efforts will pay off,”
There is plenty of snow and cold weather for the other outdoor events, like the Alpine and Nordic ski competitions, to be held near Whistler, about 90 minutes farther north.
But, for now, there is not enough snow to accommodate the snowboarding events (halfpipe, snowboard-cross and the parallel giant slalom) and three skiing events (aerials, moguls and skier-cross).
Cypress Mountain is known for its proximity to Vancouver, about 30 minutes from downtown and on the municipal bus line. It provides sweeping views of the city and the water that surrounds it.
Temperatures have stayed above freezing, making artificial snow-making impossible. Recent precipitation has been rain.
Nearly every Winter Olympics host city fears an unpredicted drought or ill-timed warm front that threatens the Games. Contingency plans are made. But rarely have they been needed……..
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