The Future of Skiing in the Alps?

The 2023/24 ski season in Europe wasn't one for the record books. Skiers eagerly arrived at resorts in the Alps, only to be greeted by an unusual sight – scarce snow cover thanks to an exceptionally mild winter. As this unfortunate ski season comes to an end, it's time to ponder the future of skiing in the Alps. Will we need to adjust our expectations and prepare for a different kind of ski experience in the years to come?

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[EquuleusPictor]

2023-2024 to characterize it briefly was very wet and mild. Everything above 1800m had a very good season, but below that they struggled. Small resort below 1500m suffered the worse fate of all with only a few good days for skiing.

[bostoncelticsfan]

0:23 "Poor Alps ski season"
*proceeds to show Rockies*

[Justforthrills-bypf]

0:23 shows Steamboat Colorado USA. Chairs stacked on the ground, cable removed from the lift on the right - this was shot during summer maintenance!

[andrewbaggett]

Great snow in Tignes all season. A bumper year with plenty of fresh snow (baring February)

[Swiss]

That’s more like 2022/2023. In 2024 the season was alright. The lower skiresorts didn’t have a lot of snow. Above 2000 Meters there’s more than avaerage.

[geirheggertveit]

The Nordic countries is also in Europe and here it has been a record season regarding snow and opening days at ski resorts! ⛷️👌😉👍⛷️

[Simon-jpwg]

Mmmm we went twice to La Plagne January and March
Fantastic conditions
Italy Arraba January
Brilliant conditions
It’s the weather
You never no what you get
Check out the web cams in La Plagne now
Epic conditions for this time of year
It is what it is

[str]

Great snow in Innsbruck, Baqueira and Formigal in the Pirenees all the way until April. Just back from there. I agree there is a warming trend… but I didn’t see it on the slopes this year.

[leenorton]

I think people need to wake up, this isn't alarmist at all. It is true that a lot of resorts are pivoting towards longer summer seasons, or as they described in this, wellness holidays. I live and work in the Austrian Alps and it is clear to see with my own ffing eyes that it has been a drought of a season. Only places like Obergurgl and Ischgl have had consistently good snow and for them even the lower slopes have suffered. I have also used my Tirol Pass to get around from early on as it was just awful where I am. Even if you speak to the local ski bums or the locals in places like St Anton it has been a bang average season. You can go into any resort in this part of the Alps (may be happening in other parts, but I am not living there) and one of the biggest expenditures for Hotels and resorts in on Wellness facilities as they know they have to pivot over the next 10/15 years.

[thatcrazyseiger]

I was in Cervinia this Easter and we had roughly 2m of snowfall before we arrived, although it’s the highest place to go in Europe

[timcarswell]

Good or bad snow seasons will always vary from year to year. The significant melting of Alpine glaciers over the last few decades is a long-term trend which should be more of a concern.

[Arc_Luena]

Decent snow in La Plagne mid January, and reasonable above 1800 for the reminder of the season looking at the webcams, despite the warmest February on record in the Alps and a continuing mild March (and now record high temps early April).

However, it's a high resort and mostly north facing. The sectors below 1500 have not done well.

Seems anything below 1500 in France, Switzerland and Italy (1200 Austria) has had it really bad.

I am worried that in the next couple of years the lower Alpine resorts will one by one annouce that they are ceasing winter sports altogether. But when you have temps of 10-15C at lower lift stations/resort level; for much of the season, this is sadly inevitable.

[peterpozman]

Vancouver season was off/on till March. I know people who work there and they were laid off.

[mattwoodford]

Went 3 times (Jan, Feb and Mar) and had brilliant fresh powder skiing each time. From my macro perspective, much better than last year where each trip was ice and crud away from the pistes. I was anticipating more snow this season for sure, I thoguht that the pacific oscillation being in El Nino would have a benefit to the snow but being a stronger-than-usual el-nino this may well have created much warmer conditions in the alps.
I don't think the question "what will it be like next year" has got any easier to answer. Like trying to decide when to go skiing to get the best conditions. If you were to state a week next season that would be good, it would be pure luck that you get it right. Forecasting in such a collection of microclimates is inherently complicated whch is why a forecast of anymore than 3 days in advance is really just guesswork

[soundersiren]

December and January was great in Austria, mostly. Some areas not so much but that happens every year. February was very strangely warm at the end. The worst year I remember was 2017 I think. Hardly any snow anywhere, it was frightening. Some years are better than others. Last year was better but this year wasn’t too bad.

[christianwestling]

Come to Sweden, we have great snow and a long season.

[hopeenquiries]

I went 3 times to Switzerland and had a fantastic time on higher resorts

[ssmoto]

I don't know what you're on about... 23-24 has been great in general. Went to France and Switzerland and sure there are sometimes the snow quality isn't as good but that's far from "no snow"... It feels like one of those salty British journalist try to convince people there isn't much snow in Europe....

[anejkrilic]

In dolomites they had one of the best seasons this year

[panosb]

In 02:12 while talking about Alps, it shows Gudauri in Caucasus mountains in Georgia