In Finland, the heat is on to save the 2019/2020 ski season. Following the closure of the ski resort in Levi as part of the shutdown ordered by the Finnish government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the resort decided to take action. Rather than allowing its most precious resource to melt, it decided to save the snow. With the goal of extending what had been an exceptional season because of significant snowfall, workers at Levi literally piled up the snow and covered it with specially designed blankets to insulate it. The plan is that instead of waiting for mother nature to dictate the start date of the 2020/2021 season, Levi will reopen its resort in October using its saved snow. While it is possible that the area will have received some snow by that time, it is typically early autumn. Workers are optimistic that by saving their most important resource, they will be able to recoup some of the losses incurred when the current season abruptly ended in March.
