Ski resorts warn they face ‘existential threat’ from climate crisis

Skiing body joins forces with UN to address ‘bleak future’ of winter sports

Ski resorts around the world are facing an “existential threat” from the climate crisis, the international ski federation has warned, as it teams up with UN weather experts to address the growing impacts of global warming on winter sports.

Last season, 26 World Cup races were cancelled due to poor weather conditions, the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) said, raising an alarm about the future of winter sports.

The organisation is now partnering with the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) in a bid to find solutions.

“Climate change is, simply put, an existential threat to skiing and snowboarding,” FIS president Johan Eliasch said.

“The climate crisis is obviously far bigger than FIS − or sports, for that matter: it is a genuine crossroads for mankind,” he said.

“ We would be remiss if we did not pursue every possible effort that is rooted in science and objective analysis. This is what we are trying to follow and what is at the core of this promising partnership with the WMO.”

The collaboration comes as ski resorts increasingly struggle with erratic snowfall and warmer winters, with many relying on artificial snow to keep their slopes open.

Rising temperatures are forcing snow levels higher, cutting short ski seasons and leaving some resorts struggling to maintain their slopes.

“This is about more than just disrupted vacations; the long-term impacts on mountain ecosystems and economies will be profound,” WMO chief Celeste Saulo said.

File image: Rising temperatures are forcing snow levels higher (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

It is the first time the WMO has partnered with an international sports federation.

Next month, the federation will host a global event bringing together national ski associations, venue managers, and event organisers to discuss strategies for adapting to the rapidly changing conditions.

Earlier, in a statement about event cancellations, the skiing organisation said: “Winter sports and tourism face a bleak future because of climate change.”

Switzerland has already witnessed significant effects, with its alpine glaciers losing around 60 per cent of their volume since 1850.

The zero-degree level, where snow can rest, has risen by about 250m over the past 50 years and could climb another 400-650m by 2060 if climate mitigation efforts aren’t intensified.

Meanwhile, MeteoSwiss, the Swiss national weather service, reports that snowfall has decreased by half at altitudes below 800m since 1970, with zero-degree temperatures now being recorded at higher altitudes each year.

According to a 2023 study by French and Austrian scientists, over half of Europe’s ski resorts are at “very high risk” for insufficient snow if global temperatures rise by 2C.