Ski vacation in the Alps may become a thing of the past: scientists have made an alarming forecast due to climate change

The Alps, one of the world's most popular ski vacation destinations, may soon become a thing of the past. Experts have made this alarming prediction due to climate change.

Scientists from Eurac Research have found that snowfall in these mountains, where some of the most prestigious resorts are located, fell by a third between 1920 and 2020. And on the southwestern slopes, the situation is even more catastrophic, as data shows a decrease in snowfall by almost 50 percent, DailyMail reports.

In a new study, researchers collected snowfall statistics over a century from 46 locations in the Alps, combining records from modern weather stations with handwritten notes dating back to the early 20th century. This created the first comprehensive look at how snowfall has changed over the past 100 years.

According to the researchers, precipitation levels have been falling sharply since 1980, coinciding with a sharp rise in average air temperatures around the world due to human-induced climate change.

High temperatures mean that snow cannot form at low altitudes, and precipitation falls as rain, experts say.

"There is a negative trend in fresh snowfall in the Alps with an overall decrease of about 34%. In particular, a noticeable decline has been observed since 1980," said Michele Bozzoli, lead researcher.

According to the scientists, the Southwest and Southeast regions demonstrated an average snow loss of 4.9% and 3.8% for each decade. And the Northern regions have a slightly lower, but also alarming loss of 2.3%.

In the most affected regions of the Southern Alps, including Italy, Slovenia, and Austria, these changes could threaten the future of winter sports, experts say.

"The reduction of snow affects not only winter sports but also all activities and processes that depend on water," said Michele Bozzoli.

According to statistics, 400 million people visit ski resorts around the world every year. Therefore, snow is an important part of the tourism economy.

If the snow melts during the December to April ski season, resorts have no choice but to run shorter and less profitable seasons, analysts say.

The data show that temperatures have now risen so much in the southwestern and southeastern Alps that rain often replaces snowfall even at high altitudes.

Previous studies have shown that climate change puts a number of ski resorts around the world at serious risk of becoming snowless by the end of the century, scientists warn.

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