On the demise of Whistler, Horstman and Blackcomb Glaciers, southwest British Columbia, Canada: historical use, recent change and future prospects within a mountain resort

Atmospheric warming is causing glaciers worldwide to retreat and disappear, with repercussions for nearby communities. Effects of glacier retreat have been especially consequential for mountain resorts such as Whistler Blackcomb, Canada, where nearly 60 years of summer glacier use by skiing has been terminated due to the ongoing demise of Whistler, Horstman and Blackcomb Glaciers. Over the past five decades, these three glaciers decreased in area by 95%, 75% and 60%, respectively. Using a degree-day model with downscaled CMIP6 data, we project that Whistler Glacier will disappear within the next decade, whereas Horstman and Blackcomb Glaciers will vanish in the next years, respectively. The large uncertainty in disappearance dates depends primarily on the applied ice-thickness model. Our work demonstrates that ski resorts that rely on glaciers will need to balance current ice-preservation strategies with adaptation in light of ongoing future climate change.