Brown slopes and snowy mountains – a common sight in the European Alps, and far from the winter that tourists have experienced.
While some snow began to fall again earlier this week, Europe has seen “extreme” winter weather in recent times, experts said, with 2023 already set to deliver record January temperatures in the region.
From Austria to France, Italy and Switzerland, the slopes have disappeared – with temperatures too high even to make artificial snow.
Many of the resorts below had to close, while others offered reduced services.
“The last day is not cold or wintery … so winter holidaymakers probably do not really feel like skiing,” Nazar Nydza, managing director of Semmering Hirschenkogel Bergbahnen told AFP.
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– ‘Anxious’ –
Until Monday, it had not snowed in Semmering for weeks, and the temperature had not dropped below minus three degrees Celsius (27 degrees Fahrenheit) for several days, meaning it was not economically feasible to make artificial snow, according to Nydza.
About a third of the slopes are closed in the small resort, which is still hosting World Cup races in late December and is located less than 100 kilometers (60 miles) south of Vienna.
“Ashamed. It’s nice to come to Austria in the middle of winter and see all the snow,” said Gregor Macara, 34, a climate scientist from New Zealand who was visiting friends.
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To the west, in Switzerland’s Leysin, near the border with France, student Alexis Boteron, 19, said that with artificial snow, “it’s not the best conditions for skiing”.
But he said that “it’s always fun, we’re with friends, we have fun.”
Many expressed concern about warmer temperatures and less snow.
Jean-Marc Gross, a climber from Lausanne, said he felt “worried about … what is happening to the climate and the future.”
– Fatal accident –
In addition to the lack of snow in Austria, an increase in fatal skiing accidents is also making headlines.
So far this season 13 people have died in skiing accidents, compared to the 10-year average of seven for the same period, the Austrian Alpine Safety Council said in a statement last week.
Although the investigation is ongoing, some say the lack of natural snow is making the situation more difficult.
Amid the negative news, ski resorts and tourism officials across the Alpine region are putting on a brave face after two years of coronavirus-related restrictions.
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He said the final visitor numbers at the end of the season will be important – so if it snows again, the numbers could still be positive.
“The pre-season (before the holidays) is better than expected, which means people want to ski, people want to come back and do winter holidays,” said Walter Veit, president of the Austrian Hotelier Association, which usually refers to the top hotels. .
– Yoga instead of skiing –
Some ski resorts have moved to offer alternative activities, trying to make up for the lack of snow.
The Swiss resort of Flumserberg, near Zurich, where only about a third of the length of the slopes opened late last week, has organized special offers, including dance and yoga courses for skiers.
Torgon, a small family resort in the Valais Alps between 1,200 and 1,900 meters (3,900 and 6,200 feet) above sea level, must be closed for skiing, and hiking has taken place on the slopes.
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Anna Reiner, visiting Zurich, said she was “worried as the temperature rises”.
“Of course I’m sad, I love skiing, but what can I do?”
“Today we went hiking, which was fun, but not the same,” he said.
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