Winter Recreation and
Bioclimatic Comfort
Michelle Rutty & Jean Andrey
WWOSC, 2014
• Winter Recreation = downhill skiing &
snowboarding, cross country skiing, snowmobiling,
ice-fishing, ice-climbing, dog sledding
• North America
• ~19 million participate
• 15% Cdn; 8% US
• Skiing: $4bn annually
• Snowmobiling: $28 bn annually
• Canada
▫ ~20% share
• Ontario
▫ 63 snow resorts:
 $228 million
 16% of Cdn skiers
▫ 30,000km of snowmobile trails:
 $1 billion
 22% of Cdn snowmobilers
Context
– Importance of weather and climate for winter recreation
• Winter recreation is weather- and climatedependent
▫ Snow—natural and artificial
• Weather and climate play a salient role in
decision-making
▫
▫
▫
▫
▫
Destination attractiveness
Destination choice
Timing of travel
Travel expenditures
Satisfaction
Context
– Importance of weather forecasts
• Meteorological Community:
• 300 billion forecasts accessed annually by US public
• Used more for discretionary activities
• Higher frequency of use when planning leisure
activities
• Tourism Community:
• Widespread use in holiday planning
• Before & during trip
• However, there have been no assessments of tourists’
climate-service needs and preferences
Weather forecasts are likely to be highly sought
and duly considered by winter recreationists
Survey
– Method
• Online survey – November 2012
• n = 1,948
• Research Objectives
1)
Sources: Identify the source(s) of weather forecast
information utilized when planning a snowmobile trip in
Ontario.
2) Importance: Assess which forecast variables are most
important in trip planning
3) Use: Identify the weather variables most likely to deter a
trip
Key Findings
– Survey
•
Heavy consumers of weather forecasts (>99%)
•
Internet and mobile communication most
important (>95%)
•
Importance of forecast attributes differ
significantly between skiers/snowmobilers
•
Winter weather affects travel and likely to result
in postponed or cancelled trips.
Biometeorology & Winter Recreation
• Weather affects bioclimatic comfort, which in
turn influences experience and satisfaction
 Temperature
 Wind speeds
 Sun/cloud conditions
• Weather information as a double-edged sword
▫ “Bone-chilling temperatures” – National Post, 2014
▫ “Frigid conditions” – Toronto Star, 2014
▫ “The weather: nasty and brutish” – Globe and Mail, 2014
▫ “Six indoor exercise options for winter” – Montreal Gazette, 2014
How often do you check the forecast to ...
Plan how to dress yourself or your children
Skiers
Snowmobilers
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
60%
80%
100%
Plan length of outing
Skiers
Snowmobilers
0%
Always
20%
More than half the time
40%
About half the time
Less than half the time
Never
Importance of Forecast Attributes
Wind chill temperature*
Cold temperature*
Warm temperature*
Wind speed*
1
2
3
Skiers/Snowboarders
*Statistically significant differences (p ≤ 0.05)
4
Snowmobilers
5
How likely are you to go if the temperature is ...
10
Temperature (°C)
5
0
-5
-10
-15
-20
-25
-30
1
2
Skiers/Snowboarders
3
4
Snowmobilers
5
≥81%
would be deterred by a weather forecast
Freezing rain
Rain
Warm temperature
High wind chill
Cold temperature
Heavy snowfall
Sun/cloud conditions
Other
0
20
40
60
Respondents (%)
Skiers
Snowmobilers
80
100
Comfort Tips
– Ontario Snow Resort Association
http://www.skiontario.ca/comfort
Comfort Tips
– Ontario Snow Resort Association
http://www.skiontario.ca/comfort
Comfort Tips
– Ontario Snow Resort Association
http://www.skiontario.ca/comfort
Comfort Tips
– Ontario Snow Resort Association
http://www.skiontario.ca/comfort
93%
of respondents have never heard of
these comfort tips or comfort factor
Next Steps:
• Partnership with the Weather Network
• Provide a link on snow resort websites
• Smartphone app development
Thank You
mkrutty@uwaterloo.ca
Rutty, M & Andrey, J (2014). Weather Forecast Use for Winter Recreation.
Weather, Climate, and Society, 6: 293-306