The photos of these skiers impassively descending the slopes, on a strip of snow a few meters wide bordered by a green meadow had, last week, a somewhat dystopian side. During this school holiday period, low and medium altitude winter sports resorts are hit by weather conditions that are not conducive to skiing. Due to a lack of snow below 1,600 meters above sea level, many areas have had to close their lifts, while others close part of their slopes, leaving skiers with some descents filled with artificial snow…
Conversely, the high mountain resorts are full: the snow is present, and vacationers are experiencing spring skiing conditions. A situation which contrasts with the two previous years, where, at this time of year, the snow conditions were much better. And which shows how climate change is making ski holidays more and more unpredictable.
This year’s conditions herald the upheavals that will impact all ski resorts, and their economic-tourist model based on snow. Molines-Saint-Véran, Saint-Pancrace-les-Bottières, Arvieux, Ceillac, Abriès-Ristolas, Saint-Léger-les-Mélèzes, Aiguilles, Roubion-les-Buisses… By 2050, many resorts, in particular those located in the south of the Alps will have to cease their ski lift activities.
This is what emerges froma report from the Court of Auditors, published on February 6, which assigns a vulnerability index to 163 French stations. The originality of this indicator is to take into account both the climatic factor – and therefore the drop in snow cover – and the economic factor, that is to say the capacity of municipalities to adapt to this new given.
Of course, it is the low and medium mountain resorts that are most threatened. But in addition to altitude, multiple factors predict the viability of a ski area, such as its size, the evolution of the number of skiers, its exposure to the sun, the number and quality of tourist accommodation in the town… As many elements which have an impact on public finances, and which make it possible, or not, to support ski lifts – a service which, in France, is provided either by municipalities or by a company under public service delegation, and which requires heavy investments.
Shortening of seasons
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