Will we be able to ski in a +2°C world?

Illustration Will we be able to ski in a +2°C world? © INRAE - L. Berard-Chenu The climate is getting warmer, and snow supply risk to snow tourism is growing. Can snowmaking be a solution? To what extent and at what cost? In order to prepare for the future of Europe's winter sports resorts and explore the ski tourism industry's flexibility in the face of global warming, a Franco-Austrian team involving researchers from INRAE, Météo-France and Joanneum Research has examined climate change impact on the snowpack, with and without snowmaking, in over 2,000 European resorts. In this article for The Conversation, Hugues François, Samuel Morin and Raphaëlle Samacoïts present the main findings, with a specific focus on the French mountain ranges Over the last months, the  raison d'être  of winter sports has been threatened more than ever by a range of challenges and controversies. From the occupation by activists of the  glacier of Girose , Southeastern France, to protest against plans for a new cable car, to doubts over whether to hold pre-season sporting events following the partial destruction of the  Théodule glacier  in Switzerland, scarce snow is pitting people against one another. Behind all these tensions lies the same question: what does the future hold for skiing on an overheating planet? In recent decades, France has seen some ski resorts close due to a lack of snow or a sustainable business model. However, the majority of resorts continue to cling on to the hope of adapting to rising temperatures.