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Snow Shortage Threatens Future Winter Games
13 Jan
Summary
- Fewer than 60% of locations can host games by 2050s.
- IOC considers permanent pool of hosts due to climate change.
- Snowmaking requires massive energy and water resources.
The future of winter sports is under serious threat as climate change rapidly alters snow conditions. Researchers predict that by the 2050s, only 52 of the 93 current mountain locations will have sufficient snow depth and cold temperatures to host elite competitions. This number could dwindle to just 30 by the 2080s, depending on global carbon dioxide emission levels.
In response, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is contemplating significant changes, including potentially rotating games among a permanent pool of suitable locations and advancing the competition schedule due to warming March temperatures. Snowmaking technology is heavily relied upon, with Beijing 2022 being the first to use it almost exclusively, requiring vast amounts of energy and water.
Past Winter Olympic host cities like Grenoble, Chamonix, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, and Sochi are projected to become climatically unreliable by the mid-2050s. As climate change continues, the IOC is prioritizing locations with existing infrastructure and strong environmental protection standards, as seen with the selections for the 2030 French Alps and 2034 Salt Lake City Games.
