December 6, 2006 A study released Tuesday by climatologist Richard Boehm, of Austria’s Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics, states that climate change is attributing to the Alps’ warmest winter weather in 1,300 years. And to cap it off, Boehm claims that the climate in the Alps will “undoubtedly get warmer” the Associated Press (AP) reported.

The study, funded by the European Union, focused on simulated climate conditions for the last 1,000 years, and collected data from the last 250 years in the region bordered by France’s Rhone Valley in the west; Budapest, Hungary, in the east; Tuscany, Italy, to the south; and Nuremberg, Germany, to the north, the AP reported.

The big question for skiers is how this will affect the future of the industry and resorts located in the Alps.

A report by the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP), released in 2003, parallels the recent findings with the study stating that ski resorts located at higher altitude, or that provide access to altitudes higher than 2,000 meters (6,591 feet), have good prospects for the future, while those at lower altitudes may need to withdraw from the ski tourism market in coming years due to lack of snow.

“This is something that I have never seen before,” Sigrid Pichler, PR Manager for the Austrian Tourism Office, told Outside Online. “Conditions have never been this extreme, and have never before effected resorts that are located at higher elevations.”

The UNEP reported that the altitude for reliable snow conditions may rise to 1,500 meters (4,921 feet) in coming years and, with half of the ski resorts in the Italian Alps located under 1,300 meters (4,265 feet), the future looks grim.

Pichler said that in a phone conversation with colleagues in Europe this morning, she was surprised to hear that snow conditions are low even outside of Austria.

“In the past, if the snow was bad in Austria, tourists could go to Germany, or Switzerland, and vice versa,” she said. “But this year, the entire region is affected.”

The UNEP report forecasts that climate change could cost the tourism industry in Switzerland upwards of $2 billion annually by 2050. Furthermore, the report predicts that as the ski industry climbs to higher altitude regions, concentrated tourist activity will have a detrimental affect on sensitive high alpine environments.

The study released this week has further heightened concerns about the future of profitable winter tourism in Europe’s Alpine regions. According to the BBC, Austrian resort St. Anton am Arlberg was recently forced to postpone opening day from November 29 to December 8 due to unseasonably warm temperatures that have hindered snowmaking.

The International Ski Federation also released a statement this week listing World Cup cancellations due to warm conditions across Europe. Alpine events scheduled for this week in St. Moritz, Switzerland, and Val d’Isere, France have been cancelled, as well as cross-country events in Val d’Aosta, France.

The report states that the outlook for races scheduled for mid December still looks positive due to increased snowmaking efforts and predicted cold weather.

Pichler said that she will keep her fingers crossed for cold weather, saying that another few weeks of no snow could be dangerous for tourism sales.

“There is definitely snow in the forecast,” she told Outside Online. “So we are just going to hope for the best.”

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