- [Mick] Winter this year was tough.

Small hills like this might not survive.

- This winter was one of the worst seasons on record for local ski hills and resorts.

A harsh reality of climate change.

Hello, I'm Stefanie Mills.

Welcome back to "Pressing Matters."

All across Michigan the lack of snow and mild temperatures took a massive toll on the winter tourism industry, including places like Snow Snake in Harrison, the culprit record warmth along with a strong El Nino.

Scientists have been warning about the changing climate for years.

Now Michigan's winter recreation businesses are being forced to adapt.

- We had a few days that we were able to get open, but then we had to close during Christmas, which is really the best time for our business 'cause everyone's on vacation.

They wanna participate in winter sports.

They want to get outside and enjoy it.

You know, folks have their family members coming from Florida, they've never seen snow before, and they wanna check it out.

- Haley manages Snow Snake Ski & Golf in Harrison.

In the winter enthusiasts packed the Hills and tubing course.

This year it didn't matter if you ran a small hill or a major one farther north, or even in the upper peninsula.

Winter never really showed up and neither did anyone else.

- It was a really tough, kind of depressing start to the season, but we weren't the only ones.

There are definitely a lot other folks.

Basically, the entire Midwest suffered pretty similar circumstances with only just a few mountains that had really good opportunity to even open.

Most folks were only able to partially open.

Past Christmas though we had some good, we had some really good days once we did get the snow making going once the snow did come.

But then just like the year ending, or just like the year starting late, the year ended early because we had more, you know, high 60 degree days.

- [Stefanie] Central Michigan University meteorologist, Zach Johnson says global temperatures keep rising year after year.

But a strong El Nino weather pattern compounded this year's warm winter issues in the Great Lakes.

- We have to think about this as a kind of a two-component issue, right?

We have our climate changing, the earth is warming, and so we see that warming here in around the Great Lakes region.

And then we have this, what we call a mode of climate variability, which is the El Nino Southern Oscillation.

And this refers to sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific, right?

They fluctuate, sometimes they're warmer in a given year, and sometimes they're colder.

This past year, this past winter, it was warmer than average in the tropical Pacific.

This temperature variability in the Tropical Pacific, we can see it's effect on our climate here in Michigan and all over the world.

- [Stefanie] According to the European Union Climate Agency Copernicus, on a global scale, February, 2024 marked the ninth straight month of record-breaking temperatures on earth.

Scientists say the reason is pretty clear.

- Our climate is always changing, you know, over very long periods of time.

You know, we're talking thousands, ten thousands, hundred thousands of years.

But modern time speaking, you know, in the last a hundred years we've seen the climate change quite a bit.

And it's quite unprecedented compared to historically speaking, going back tens of thousands of years.

So we have this abrupt change of climate, and the question is, what's causing that?

Is it natural or is it manmade?

And so the overwhelming evidence suggests that it is manmade.

And so we're seeing our climate changing abruptly in terms of geological timescales.

And so this is kind of the definition of climate change.

Temperature around the globe has been increasing at different rates depending on where you are.

- [Stefanie] Winter tourism saw the biggest impact among businesses in Michigan from skiing and snowmobiling to ice fishing.

It led to a trickle down effect impacting communities across the region.

- Pretty good job working with other businesses to kind of promote each other because when folks come to visit Snows Snake, they're stopping for, you know, a donut or they're gonna stop for a coffee somewhere, you know, and that's, you know, all these little teeny tiny trips or you know, it all gets affected.

And again, that was the same across the board, the whole state, every little winter tourist town got hit really hard because folks weren't coming.

It's a regional issue, it's a statewide issue, and it's a lot of dollars into the economy that weren't spent - [Stefanie] With the final snow piles dotting the hills, Snow Snakes shifted its focus to their golf course, but they know they need to make some big decisions to invest and adapt in order to continue to stay open year round with warmer temperatures, they're able to extend the golf season.

But Mick says part of their strategy will be coming up with ways to be less weather-dependent.

That involves investing in more snowmaking ability.

- Otherwise, it's just hopes and dreams.

So it's gonna be putting your money where your mouth is showing the people that you want to make winter work and that you wanna have fun 'cause skiing, snowboarding, snow tubing, it's fun.

It's super fun.

And it is, it's just like, it's a part of the culture too, just in Michigan, like it's a thing.

And it's what people look forward to.

- Michigan businesses impacted by the weather are able to apply for a federal relief loan.

Governor Whitmer says the businesses are able to do so because of ongoing federal drought situations affecting 42 Michigan counties.