‘We are devastated and shocked’

The oldest ski resort in the Isère — France’s third-biggest mountain destination, with nearly two dozen resorts — has been forced to close due to a lack of snow. It’s the largest ski resort in the northern Alps to shutter its operation amid dwindling seasonal snowfall.

What’s happening?

The French ski resort Alpe du Grand Serre has closed permanently just ahead of the 2024-25 winter ski season due to the impacts of our warming world. The popular skiing and snowboarding destination couldn’t afford to transition to a year-round destination to cope with its shrinking snow season.

The immediate consequence is the threat of losing 200 jobs, as businesses like those in neighboring La Morte are hit hard by the lack of tourists. The small village has a population of only around 150 people who rely on winter sports to sustain its economy.

“We are devastated and shocked,” Lauranne Vincent, the owner of a sports shop near the resort, told France 3 television, per the Guardian. “It’s a brutal decision coming two months before we were due to open. We were hoping the opposite would happen. We said all lights were green to go.”

Why are shrinking snow seasons important?

According to an analysis by Climate Central researchers, the United States is also feeling the repercussions of shrinking snow seasons on an overheating planet.

Climate Central examined snowfall trends in just over 2,000 locations across the country. They found nearly two-thirds (64%) of those locations are now getting less snow than in the early 1970s.

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A 2020 study revealed the western U.S. was a global “hot spot” for snow drought. The West experienced a 28% increase in the duration of snow droughts from 1980 to 2018.

Dwindling snowfall impacts tourism, winter recreation, and water resource management. “In addition to reducing water supplies available for municipalities, irrigation, industry, and ecosystems, reduced mountain snowpack and earlier snowmelt can also increase wildfire risk in western forests with abundant fuels,” Climate Central’s report noted.

A study from Dartmouth College published last winter revealed that seasonal snowpacks have significantly decreased in size across the Northern Hemisphere over the past 40 years because of heat-trapping gases in Earth’s atmosphere. The researchers concluded that many regions are “approaching a critical ‘snow-loss cliff'” that will require changes in how water resources are managed.

What’s being done about the reduction in snowfall?

The Tahoe Environmental Research Center has partnered with Palisades Tahoe and Protect Our Winters to encourage public action that will “combat the negative effects of climate change to Lake Tahoe’s snowpack and the winter tourism industry.” Their “Save Our Snow” campaign wants to empower people to help reduce the carbon pollution that is warming our world.

We can all help by supporting climate causes like “Save Our Snow,” spreading the word about climate issues, and voting for pro-climate candidates.

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