As Wisconsin winters get warmer, winter tourist attractions try to adapt

Last winter was Wisconsin’s warmest winter since record-keeping began in 1895, with temperatures reaching as high as 77 degrees Fahrenheit and bringing the state its first February tornado.

Because of that unusually warm weather, winter tourism took a big hit across the state. Snowmobilers couldn’t hit the trails, ice fishermen were fishing in open water, and outdoor events and attractions were cut short or adjusted to accommodate the warmer weather.

Warming trends in Wisconsin aren’t slowing down, either, which has forced the popular Lake Geneva Ice Castles, an annual attraction that showcases castles and sculptures made out of icicles for visitors to explore, not to return this winter. The Ice Castles organization announced that it was pausing the event this year while it looks for ways to become weather-resilient and sustainable for the future.

“As we took a step back and just looked at what we wanted to achieve long-term, it made sense for us to take a pause,” Ice Castles CEO Kyle Standifird told the Wisconsin Independent.

“We’ve loved being in Lake Geneva, the people we worked with, the community, it’s been fantastic. Our hope is to be back the following year and come out with something even better than ever, and that’s a bit more resilient and can withstand some warmer temperatures if needed,” he said.

Why are Wisconsin’s winters getting warmer?

Climate scientists predict that average temperatures will rise by nearly 3 degrees Fahrenheit by the year 2050 due to global warming. In Wisconsin, local climate scientists say that climate change will cause Wisconsin to become warmer and wetter over the next decades. The Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts predicts it will warm 2 to 8 degrees across the dairy state by 2050. Winters in particular are warming more than any other season in Wisconsin, and they could increase 5 to 11 degrees Fahrenheit by 2050, potentially shortening the season by a month.

Last winter was so warm and dry partly because of a climate pattern known as El Niño, when temperatures in the Pacific Ocean are higher and have an effect on weather. Climatologists said it’s too soon to know whether last year’s warmer winter was also due to global warming because that requires looking at changes and trends over time, but it likely played a part in it.

This upcoming winter is expected to be different, though, because a different climate pattern known as La Niña is setting in. La Niña is considered to be El Niño’s opposite phase and typically brings colder and wetter weather. Because of this, Wisconsin is expecting a snowier and more frigid winter season.

How do you make an ice castle in a heat wave?

This warming trend is causing Ice Castles to rethink its game plan. It’s trying to get creative, but its plans are still mostly under wraps.

“We’re constantly innovating and thinking and trying and improving, and you know, what can we do? How can we bring this magical experience that we’ve come to love so much and our guests have come to love, how can we make it work long term, if these global warming trends are really on track?” Standifird said.

Standifird said that last year, Ice Castles adapted by mixing warm temperature-resistant artificial snow with the ice to build some structures.

Ice Castles isn’t the only business relying on artificial snow. A new study found that ski areas in Wisconsin are increasingly relying on snowmaking to get by in the winter.

Lake Geneva Mayor Todd Krause said the city has used artificial snow for sculpture-marking at its annual Winterfest. He said with or without snow, visitors and residents enjoy the other attractions the city has to offer, including its shops and the path around the lake, and the area is still a popular summer destination.

“But certainly, I mean, I grew up here. It’s a different environment, where we used to get up and after I got done teaching each day, we’d go out snowmobiling. And nowadays, it’s real, real hit or miss,” he said.

In Wisconsin, shortened or lackluster winters can have a big impact on tourism and communities. Last year, Gov. Tony Evers announced that businesses and groups that suffered over the winter due to the lack of snow and ice were eligible for federal disaster relief loans. Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin introduced a bill in September that would ensure businesses could receive this same federal support in the future when there isn’t enough snow. No action has been taken on the bill yet.

It’s important to find ways to preserve fun winter activities for Wisconsinites despite the changing climate, Standifird said.

“It seems to me like the demand for outdoor winter activities is as strong as ever. With the lack of snow last year and obviously the warm, that demand just sits there waiting to come out and experience things,” he said.

And as the state braces for another winter season, Krause said, “Let’s hope for snow, right?”