Europe Weekly Roundup #255

Alps Heatwave Shrinks Summer Ski Terrain to Record Lows

• Warm temperatures in the Alps are causing continuous thawing, with freezing points only at the highest altitudes and no significant snowfall on glacier slopes.
• Zermatt's Matterhorn Glacier Paradise is the only remaining ski center with double-digit skiable kilometers, while other areas have limited terrain and closures due to warm conditions.
• Severe weather, including storms and landslides, recently impacted Austria's St. Anton, though clean-up efforts are restoring normalcy.

The Alps Report

The warm temperatures at high altitudes in the Alps continue to impact open terrain. The freezing point has moved between approximately 3,500 and 4,500 meters, the same as most previous weeks this month, meaning that temperatures are above freezing 24 hours a day on most glacier slopes, with only the very highest seeing sub-zero temperatures in the middle of the night. Endless sunshine hasn't helped reduce the thawing impact either, and any precipitation that has been produced from the warming has tended to fall back down on the glacial snow cover as rain, not snow. The Matterhorn Glacier Paradise above Zermatt (0/150cm / 0/60”), also accessible from Cervinia on the Italian side, is now the only center of the four still open to have a count of skiable kilometers in double figures – 11 km (7 miles) to be exact. Its neighbour, Saas Fee (0/280cm / 0/112”), has the deepest snow in the northern hemisphere but is reporting just over 8 km (5 miles) of slopes remaining open when conditions allow and has been closed several days over the past week as temperatures were too warm. The other year-round ski area besides Zermatt, Austria’s Hintertux (0/55cm / 0/22”), continues to battle the elements but is down to 7 km (4.5 miles) of runs left open up high now; its glacier slopes are lower than its Swiss neighbours. It too has been closed several days this week. Finally, Passo Stelvio (0/180cm / 0/72”) is the only area open on Italian territory at present, with 4 km (2.5 miles) of slopes available. There’s nowhere currently open in France. Also worth noting is that there has been severe weather in Austria over the last 7 days, particularly bad last Friday when St. Anton was damaged by violent storms. It led to landslides closing the Arlberg Pass and flash flooding in St. Anton itself, reported to have washed cars down streets and damaged many buildings. In the past 24 hours, however, the resort’s tourist office has been keen to stress that things are returning to normal, issuing this statement: “Fortunately, we can inform you that the situation in St. Anton am Arlberg has calmed down significantly. The clean-up work is in full swing, and many affected areas are already accessible again. The Arlberg Pass re-opened last night, which eases accessibility. A huge thank you to all who have worked tirelessly and continue to work to make our beautiful village shine again.”

The Alps Forecast

It will remain warm, with temperatures reaching +10°C at 3,000 meters, +5°C at 4,000 meters, staying above freezing even at night at 3,000 meters, and getting a degree or two below at 4,000 meters, but that’s above the tops of glacial ski areas. That said, light precipitation bubbling up in the afternoons may fall as light snowfall overnight on the highest slopes, but as rain at lower levels. Overall, it’ll be mostly sunny.