Consistently rising temperatures are chilling the future of many Alpine ski resorts in Germany and elsewhere, as lack of snow has caused many resorts to close early.
With every month from last June to February setting global air temperature records, ski operators are facing questionable futures, especially those whose slopes don't extend into the 2000-metre and higher range. Even with 35,000 snow cannon, Bavarian resorts haven't been able to create the usual amounts of artificial snow because of the temperatures.
Gloomy estimates from some scientists foresee 13% of current ski resorts worldwide will have no natural snow cover at all by the end of the century, with a serious impact on the economies of places like Bavaria that rely heavily on winter tourism.
Some areas are looking ahead to a different future, emphasizing other kinds of sports and activity that require less or no snow. Bavaria's tourism ministry is pushing lower-snow activities, and the Austrian ski resort of Kitzbuhel is developing a whole climate change strategy with a focus on winter hiking and other no-snow activities.
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