Climate change has increased global temperatures, which impacts the reliability, safety, and fairness of outdoor winter sports competitions.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. β As the planet heats up, warmer winters threaten the reliability of the cold temperatures and abundant snow required for the Winter Olympics and other outdoor winter sports competitions.
A 2024 study found that of 93 potential host cities for future winter games, only about half of them (52 out of 93) would have reliable climate conditions to hold the games by the 2050s.
The study focused on two key conditions: the likelihood of low temperatures at or below freezing, and minimum acceptable snow depths, which is just under a foot of snow.
Kaitlyn Trudeau is a Senior Research Associate at Climate Central. She says climate change is leading to more variability and a decrease in reliability.
“We’re not sure if these places are going to have enough snow, and that’s going to be very costly in trying to make artificial snow. Even in indoor events like ice skating or ice hockey, you have to keep the ice refrigerated,” explains Trudeau.
Data from Climate CentralΒ also shows a substantial drop in minimum temperature at or below freezing. In the decade between 1956 and 1965, Cortina d’Ampezzo in Italy, Β one city where the 2026 Winter Olympics are being held, had 214 “freezing days”. In the last decade, that number dropped to 173 days.
“If it’s getting a lot warmer outside, you’re gonna have to spend more on energy costs, which is gonna be a lot harder and more expensive,” Trudeau said.
Trudeau added that having to make snow isnβt good for the athletes either.
“[Artificial] snow is not as soft; it’s a lot harder, and it’s a lot slippier. It turns to ice a lot faster, and a lot of athletes have complained about getting hurt on artificial snow because when they fall, it’s a lot harder. So, injuries actually can increase,” she said.
Despite most of the outdoor events taking place in the high-altitude Italian alps, this yearβs Winter Olympics will require about 3 million cubic yards of artificial snow.
Another Climate Central report also shows significant warming for both Milan and Cortina. As a reminder, Milan is the other Italian city hosting Winter Olympic events.
Cortina d’Ampezzo first hosted the winter games in 1956. In the 70 years since, February temperatures there have warmed 6.4 degrees. Over the same time period, Milan, which will host indoor ice sports, warmed 5.8 degrees.
The Winter Paralympic Games face even higher climate impacts, often happening about a month later in the same location. This puts the Paraolympics in March even closer to the spring thaw, and usually more climate variability.
The same 2024 study showed only 22 out of 93 cities had climate-reliable locations by the 2050s.
Contact Brittany Van Voorhees at bvanvoorhe@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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