The Alps are seeing a dearth of snowfall this winter amid unusually warm temperatures, forcing closures at some slopes.
The Alps are seeing a dearth of snowfall this winter amid unusually warm temperatures, forcing closures at some slopes.
On New Year’s Eve, temperatures in parts of Switzerland were around 29 degrees F (16 degrees C) above normal, according to MétéoSuisse, the national weather agency. In Delémont, a ski destination in the Jura Mountains, the daily high neared 70 degrees F (roughly 21 degrees C).
Snowfall has been sparse below 2,000 meters (around 6,500 feet), the agency said. The Alpine Skiing World Cup, which will be held in the Swiss village of Adelboden, will take place on artificial snow, the Associated Press reported. And at some low-altitude resorts, paltry snow cover has forced operators to shut down lifts entirely, the BBC reported. With skiing on hold, a few resorts have reopened summer bike trails.
“In the future these problems will get worse because the snow will continue to melt as long as the climate warms,” Wim Thiery, a climate scientist at the University of Brussels, told the Associated Press.
Read more at: Yale Environment 360
The Swiss Alps are seeing meager snowfall below 2,000 meters (around 6,500 feet), forcing some ski resorts to close slopes or turn to artificial snow. (Photo Credit: Petit Chamossaire Webcam)
