Russia Is Hoarding Snow In Case It’s Hot During The 2014 Winter Olympics
Concerns over the temperature of next year’s Winter Olympics in Russia has the country desperate for a solution in the case of a lack of snow, so Russian officials have decided to hoard snow in case there isn’t enough powdery precipitation for the ski slopes.
Sochi, Russia does see some of the country’s warmest weather, but the mountains outside of the town typically have snow.
This week, however, there was not any, as the temperature is supposed to be in the 60s all week.
The Olympic organizers are prepared for this sort of nightmarish scenario, as they are piling up all the snow they can and hoping that it lasts through the year so it can be used next year for the winter sports at the international event.
“Several hectares of slopes are set aside just for storage. Snow will be piled up for the next two months, then covered with thermal blankets. Sixty to 70 per cent of the mounds will stay cold enough throughout the summer months,” said Susan Ormisten of the CBC. “Next February, the saved snow will be dumped on the slopes.”
In addition, a reservoir of 150,000 cubic feet of water is in place to make artificial snow.
James Gilbert | Elite.
