Ski resorts in France, Italy and Switzerland are left without snow: artificial snow does not save, locals are sounding the alarm

Record high temperatures in Europe have caused many ski resorts in France, Italy, and Switzerland to cease to exist. Even artificial snow does not save entrepreneurs, because in order for it to remain suitable for skiing and other sports, the temperature on the thermometer must remain near 0℃.

Rob Stewart, a spokesperson for the Crans-Montana ski resort in the Swiss Alps, told MailOnline that the winter of 2023/24 was "strange." At the beginning of the peak season, there was plenty of snow in the mountains, but it melted by January and February.

According to the expert, a warm winter was expected in Italy, in the south of Europe, but the situation in the Alps is not so critical due to the high altitude.

Rob Stewart shared that resorts with low-altitude runs "rely heavily on artificial snow, and that works as long as the temperature stays around or below freezing."

However, in many regions of the continent, the thermometer reaches 10℃ and above during the day, which makes it impossible to maintain snow cover. As a result, many resorts have shut down their ski lifts and left snow cannons on the grass.

They have also become inefficient because they cannot produce snow at high temperatures.

Locals and businesses that wait year-round for the opportunity to capitalize on winter sports fans are sounding the alarm. Entrepreneurs rely on snowy weather and an influx of tourists to sustain such a large-scale and expensive business, but 2024 was a down year for many resorts.

About 70 percent of the pistes in Austria, 50 percent in Switzerland, and 39 percent in France depend on artificial snow, experts in the industry told the publication. Currently, they are not sure that the situation will improve in the future.

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