from Hacker News

Snow shortage threatens Alps with wet winter season

by sdfgdfghj on 1/3/23, 1:38 PM with 35 comments

  • by Mikeb85 on 1/3/23, 3:04 PM

    It's strange. Not alps here but seems to be all over Europe... I got to Czech Republic early December. There was snow on the ground everywhere we went. First time I've seen snow in Prague (last winter was mostly just cold and rainy). In my SO's town, like a foot of snow and was -10C. A few days before Christmas travelled to another small town south of Prague, even more snow. Then suddenly the weather shifted and it's been +15C for the last 2 weeks or so. All the snow gone and feels like spring. Strange weather.
  • by steve1977 on 1/3/23, 3:14 PM

    It's not threatening the Alps. It's threatening the tourism industry in the Alps - which itself is threatening the Alps.

    So, IMHO, not really a bad thing in the long run.

    Yes, many of these places currently rely on tourism as their primary source of income. So yes, they will have to change and find other sources or accept that people move away from these places.

    I live in Switzerland. This year, we had mosquitos on January 1st. WTF?

  • by sdfgdfghj on 1/3/23, 1:38 PM

    For the first time ever I had to cancel my holidays due to climate change. I was planning on skiing in the first week of January, not gonna happen.

    It was 14 degrees during the day on 31 Dec. 20 years ago it was unusual not to have snow for Christmas and New Year.

  • by thecopy on 1/3/23, 2:15 PM

    A number of ski resorts have already closed down (temporarily one hopes) in Switzerland (https://www.20min.ch/story/so-dramatisch-ist-die-lage-in-den...)
  • by jnwatson on 1/3/23, 2:19 PM

    Nice timing. I was in Avoriaz, France yesterday. At 1800 meters, it is more likely to have snow. Still it hit 13 degrees yesterday. That’s too warm for the snow cannons. It was the only resort around to have snow, so it was super crowded.
  • by njarboe on 1/3/23, 3:21 PM

    With the energy crisis in Europe this winter, I'm sure most people will trade a shorter ski season for higher average temperatures. Maybe Switzerland does not import much gas and would be the exception to this?
  • by gonzo41 on 1/3/23, 2:31 PM

    Silver lining, hopefully some rich people of influence are disappointed enough to start taking CC seriously.
  • by jmarbach on 1/3/23, 3:09 PM

    Does Europe’s record-setting coal, gas, and biomass energy usage this winter have anything to do with this result?

    /s

  • by uwagar on 1/3/23, 3:50 PM

    sounds like its a supply line problem. probably stretching all the way to china.