Green meadows instead of snow: ski season in danger in many places

Created: 2022-12-28 05:54

By: Astrid Theil

Symbolic picture: Oberstdorf in the Allgäu, snow cannons are waiting on the mountain to be used.

© via www.imago-images.de

Plus degrees and rain are causing the snow to melt in many places.

Skiers and slope operators are worried about the ski season.

Munich – During the Christmas holidays, many winter sports enthusiasts usually go on a skiing holiday.

However, after a start of the season with lots of snow in mid-December, the snow is now melting away.

And with it the prospects for a good ski season.

After the onset of winter in mid-December, temperatures have risen sharply for a few days with lots of snow and sub-zero temperatures.

In many places it is rainy and warm.

According to forecasts, it should stay like this for the time being.

This is a massive problem in many ski areas. Some ski areas have already had to postpone or pause the start of the season.

Skiing is currently not possible on the Ochsenkopf in the Fichtelgebirge, but it is the same on the Arber and in the entire Bavarian Forest. 

Germany, Austria and Switzerland: ski season threatened - artificial snow should help

It looks better in the Alps.

The mountains are higher and therefore the snow does not melt away so quickly.

However, it is also relatively warm here: The snow line in the northern Alps is currently between 1,500 and 1,800 meters.

Green meadows and artificial snow can also be seen in the Alps.

Stripes of artificial snow stretch through the green landscape on the Oberjoch in the Allgäu.

In the Oberstdorf-Kleinwalsertal area, about half of the lifts are open.

The situation is similar in the other Upper Bavarian ski areas.

The conditions are also bad in many Austrian and Swiss ski areas.

In Tyrol, cable car and ski slope operators also help themselves with artificial snow.

In the ski regions of Central Switzerland, too, there are rows of green mountain slopes instead of snowy hills.

Operations have been running on Germany's highest mountain since the beginning of December.

However, like all Alpine peaks, climate change and glacier loss can also be felt on the Zugspitze.

Science is observing a shift in winter and thus also in the ski season.

In science, the "Christmas-Easter shift" describes the shifting of winter into spring.