This year is characterized as difficult for many ski centers Ahopedue to lack snow falls.

A typical example is a ski resort. Anzerwho was forced to close some paths because not enough fell snow.

Indeed, this year A.you hope The Christmas and New Year period saw record high temperatures reaching 20.9°C in northwestern Switzerland.

According to experts, warm weather in all Ayou hope it is an omen of what lies ahead for the ski industry.

Many ski resorts know they have only two options: shut down or adapt their business model to deal with growing climate threats.

From Swiss Ayou hope in the Rocky Mountains, ski resorts are grappling with the effects of climate change by trying to provide enough snow cover and quickly adapt to changing conditions, imagining what their future will be like in a world with heat and winter.

Skiing as a “disappearing hobby”

The only thing you can be sure of is that climate change is making skiing a vanishing hobby. The skiing season is getting shorter and the slopes are getting greener as the temperature rises.

At the same time, heavy rains in the ski resorts of A.hope they contributed to the melting of the snow, so that mud is visible instead of snow.

According to Marie, in the low-mountain ski resorts of Europe, the depth of snow cover decreases by 3-4 cm every 10 years. Caviteglaciologist and climate researcher in university Louvain in Belgium.

Another big problem is the disappearance of glaciers. Alpine resorts such as Tignes in France they rely on glaciers for snow cover and water supply. In European Ayou hope glaciers are expected to disappear almost completely by 2100.

Also, melting glaciers can lead to severe flooding and soil erosion in the valley and increase the risk of avalanches.

According to a 2017 study by the Snow and Avalanche Research Institute, A.you hope they can lose up to 70% of it snow cover them by 2100 if global temperatures rise.

The world is currently on track for a 2.7°C increase in average temperature by 2100. 2Creduction snow cover will be limited to 30%, according to the study.

The United States faced a similar problem, with the ski season shortened by an average of 34 days between 1982 and 2016.

Ski resorts try to stay open throughout the winter season and offer tourists the snowy scenic scenery they expect.

“Turn” in artificial snow

To do this, they use huge snow machines that cover the slopes with fresh white powder.

A study from the University of Basel in Switzerland warns that ski resorts below 1,800-2,000 meters will increasingly have to rely on artificial snow to keep only the highest pistes open, while lower pistes are likely to close.

They throw blankets over the glaciers

AT to in between, some resort to covering the glaciers with protective blankets to prevent them from melting in the summer.

The blankets are made from white synthetic material that is UV resistant to protect the snow from the sun’s rays during the warm summer months.

According to a 2021 study, this method can reduce snow and ice melt by 50-70% compared to unprotected surfaces.

Unfortunately, however, this process is extremely expensive. In particular, covering Switzerland’s largest glaciers alone would cost billions of dollars a year.

Source: BBC