---
title: "when there's no snow, everyone pays"
canonical_url: https://ensurance.app/guide/when-theres-no-snow
markdown_url: https://ensurance.app/guide/when-theres-no-snow.md
subtitle: "a bad snow year isn't a ski problem. it's a regional crisis."
category: ensurance
---

# when there's no snow, everyone pays

*a bad snow year isn't a ski problem. it's a regional crisis.*

the ski resort closes early. that's the headline.

but here's what doesn't make the news:

the water utility starts rationing in june instead of august. the farmer's irrigation window shrinks by three weeks. the rafting company cancels half its season. the fire department watches fuel moisture drop to critical levels. the aquifer doesn't recharge.

**snowpack isn't a ski amenity. it's regional infrastructure.**

---

## the numbers

mountain snowpack provides **50-75% of freshwater** in the western united states.

climate change has already reduced western US snowpack by **20% since the 1950s**. projections show **25-40% further decline by 2050**.

when snow disappears early, reservoirs can't capture runoff, irrigation schedules collapse, hydropower drops, and wildfire risk spikes.

---

## the gap

everyone downstream pays for the consequences. no one pays to protect the source.

traditional insurance compensates after loss. it doesn't protect snowpack.

---

## $SNOWPACK

**[$SNOWPACK](/general/0xbf81cb047b7e8daf78c91cb543370ae0fc1afbbb?from=guide)** is an ensurance coin that funds watershed protection.

1. you buy or trade $SNOWPACK
2. trading generates proceeds automatically
3. proceeds flow to **water-abundance.ensurance** and **climate-stability.ensurance**

the ski resort, the water utility, the farmer, and the rafting outfitter can all hold $SNOWPACK. their participation funds the system they all depend on.

this isn't charity. it's coordinated self-interest.

**[buy $SNOWPACK →](/general/0xbf81cb047b7e8daf78c91cb543370ae0fc1afbbb?from=guide)**

---

**for the full model:** [shared risk reduction: from lloyd's coffee house to ensurance syndicates →](/guide/shared-risk-reduction-pooling-resilience?from=guide)

---

## sources

[USGS — Snowpack and Water Supply](https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/snowmelt-runoff-and-water-cycle)

[EPA — Climate Change Indicators: Snowpack](https://www.epa.gov/climate-indicators/climate-change-indicators-snowpack)