The researchers defined a very high risk of snow shortage as a year with little snow every two years. At four degrees, according to the modelling, practically all ski areas would have a very high risk of insufficient snow. In Switzerland, 99% of ski areas would run out of snow without artificial snowmaking.
Ap
A third of Swiss ski resorts face a very high risk of snow shortage if the climate warms by two degrees Celsius. Across Europe, even more than half of all ski resorts would be affected. This is what researchers predict in the scientific journal Nature Communications.
This content was published on
3 minutes
Keystone-SDA/amva
Español
es
Gran incertidumbre sobre la nieve en las estaciones de esquí suizas
The study published on Monday by researchers from France and Austria examined the situation of 2,234 ski resorts in 28 European countries. Among them are 203 ski resorts in the Swiss Alps with a total area of 144 square kilometres.
The researchers defined a very high risk of snow shortage as a year with little snow every two years. At four degrees, according to the modelling, practically all ski areas would have a very high risk of insufficient snow. In Switzerland, 99% of ski areas would run out of snow without artificial snowmaking.
According to the analysis, if the temperature increase were limited to 1.5 degrees, 5% of ski resorts in the Swiss Alps would be at high risk. Across Europe, this would already be 32%.
Artificial snowmaking
According to the analysis, artificial snowmaking could significantly reduce the risk of snow shortages. But artificial snowmaking also has its limits: With a snowmaking rate of 50%, around 27%of ski resorts across Europe would still be affected by a very high risk of snow shortage if the climate warmed by two degrees, and as much as 71% if the climate warmed by four degrees.
In the Swiss Alps, five (with two degrees of climate warming) and 38% (with four degrees of warming) of ski areas would be affected by a very high risk of snow shortage. In the Swiss Alpine region, 53% of all pistes can be covered with artificial snow, according to figures from the Federal Statistical Office from 2021. A snowmaking rate of 50% is therefore close to reality. However, the production of artificial snow also increases the demand for water and electricity, as the researchers pointed out in the study.
While the authors emphasise that the snowmaking predictions are based on simplified assumptions and that their results should not be considered definitive, they do offer ways of assessing the impact of artificial snowmaking. Nevertheless, they offer opportunities to better consider the impact of climate change on the ski tourism industry.
More
Debate
Hosted by:
Marc-André Miserez
How is the lack of snow affecting your winter holiday plans in the mountains?
The year has only just begun – with record temperatures and not much snow. How have your winter holiday plans been affected?
This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team. At SWI swissinfo.ch we select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate them into English. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles. You can find them here.
If you want to know more about how we work, have a look here, and if you have feedback on this news story please write to english@swissinfo.ch.
As a Swiss Abroad, how do you feel about the emergence of more conservative family policies in some US states?
In recent years several US states have adopted more conservative policies on family issues, abortion and education. As a Swiss citizen living there, how do you view this development?
Swiss-backed ‘Hera’ asteroid mission hits key milestone with Mars flyby
This content was published on
According to the European Space Agency (ESA), the Red Planet’s gravity will tweak the probe’s path, cutting months off the journey and saving a lot of fuel.
Swiss man arrested over Geneva parcel bomb attacks
This content was published on
A 61-year-old Swiss man was arrested in Geneva in connection with the parcel bomb incidents that left a man and a 12-year-old girl seriously injured.
UN officials in Geneva report over 100 civilian executions in western Syria
This content was published on
Verification is ongoing, and the actual number is likely higher, said a UN spokesperson in Geneva. A Syrian NGO claims executions could exceed 1,000.
Swiss pharma giant Roche partners with Zealand Pharma on new obesity treatment
This content was published on
Roche announced that it has struck an exclusive deal with Denmark's Zealand Pharma to develop and market petrelintide, a new treatment for obesity.
Experts lower Swiss growth forecasts due to US trade tensions
This content was published on
The uncertainty caused by ongoing trade conflicts is making companies hesitant to make decisions, which significantly hinders investment.
Swiss abbot resumes role following abuse investigation
This content was published on
Scarcella was accused in the Catholic Church abuse scandal last autumn. In October 2024, the Vatican declared there was no evidence of abuse or harassment against him.
Swiss stock exchange operator SIX to cut 150 jobs in efficiency drive
This content was published on
"We're not revealing the number of job losses at each location at the moment," said a SIX spokesperson. However, there will be cuts in Switzerland as well.
Martin Pfister named new Swiss government minister
This content was published on
Pfister’s election keeps the linguistic balance of Switzerland’s government, but shifts gender balance to only two women.
Swiss interior minister meets UN leaders in New York for women’s rights session
This content was published on
The Swiss interior minister also held bilateral meetings with UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Sima Sami Bahous, Executive Director of UN Women
The image of foreigners in Switzerland has deteriorated
This content was published on
The Federal Statistical Office has found that Swiss people’s views of foreigners have worsened over the last couple of years.
Up to one metre of fresh snow expected in Swiss Alps this week
This content was published on
Weather experts expect up to 70 centimetres of new snow above 1,600 metres in the Swiss Alps in the coming days, and possibly even more higher up.
Swiss ski resorts struggle with snow shortage and record temperatures
This content was published on
Huge swathes of green mountainside, persistent warm weather and slushy runs have been causing headaches for Swiss ski resorts.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.