Journal of the Korean Geographical SocietyISSN:1225-6633(Print)대한지리학회

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℃ 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.