Europe’s ski resorts are being forced to rethink how they survive as rising temperatures and shrinking snowfall reshape the winter sports landscape. While iconic destinations may still look postcard-perfect at times, the reality behind the scenes is becoming harder — and more expensive — to manage.
Snow Is No Longer a Given, Even in Famous Resorts
With the Winter Olympics set to open in Milan–Cortina on 6 February, the slopes around Cortina d’Ampezzo — often called the “pearl of the Dolomites” — are currently covered in snow. But those conditions are increasingly the exception, not the rule.
As winters warm, natural snowfall is becoming less reliable across Europe. Even when resorts manage to stay open, snow is often confined to groomed pistes and depends heavily on artificial snowmaking. That technology comes with steep financial and environmental costs, which are usually passed on to visitors through higher lift-ticket prices. For many Europeans, skiing is becoming a luxury rather than a tradition.
Climate Change Is Redrawing the Olympic Map
The International Olympic Committee has openly acknowledged that climate change, driven largely by fossil fuel use, is threatening the future of winter sports. A 2021 study by researchers at the University of Waterloo found that of the 21 cities that have hosted the Winter Olympics since 1924, only four would remain suitable by mid-century without major climate action.
Those locations are Lake Placid in the United States, Oslo and Lillehammer in Norway, and Sapporo in Japan. In a worst-case scenario where global temperatures rise by 4°C above pre-industrial levels by 2050, most former host cities would be unable to stage the Games again — and by 2080, only Sapporo would still qualify. Even under the Paris Agreement’s 2°C limit, fewer than half of past Olympic venues would remain viable.
An Industry Under Pressure Across the Alps
While the Olympics last only a few weeks every four years, the effects of climate change are a daily concern for Europe’s ski-dependent communities. Winter tourism generated around €180 billion in 2022, with the Alps serving as the industry’s core. The region spans seven countries, supports around 80 million people, and contains vital water resources and biodiversity.
Germany leads Europe in the number of ski resorts, followed by Italy and France. But a 2023 study in Nature Climate Change warns that 53 percent of Europe’s 2,234 ski resorts are at high risk of insufficient snow under a 2°C warming scenario. The outlook is especially grim in the Pyrenees, where nearly 90 percent of resorts could be affected, and in the French Alps, where about one-third may no longer be viable. At 4°C of warming, almost all European resorts would struggle to operate.
Artificial Snow, Rising Costs and Tough Choices Ahead
Snowmaking has become essential — but it comes at a heavy price. Producing enough artificial snow to cover just one hectare of slope can require at least one million litres of water, with repeated production pushing consumption to levels comparable to that of a large city. The process also demands significant electricity, increasing emissions and deepening the climate problem.
Supplying artificial snow across the Alpine region alone would require around 600 gigawatt-hours of electricity each year, equivalent to the annual energy use of roughly 130,000 households. These costs are showing up on the slopes: since 2015, the price of skiing in Europe has risen by nearly 35 percent, far above inflation. Switzerland, Austria and Italy have seen the sharpest increases, making many top resorts unaffordable for average tourists.
The European Union has warned that better coordination in managing shared water resources is essential as climate pressures grow. For ski resorts, the message is clear: adapt, diversify, or risk being left behind as Europe’s winters continue to warm.
