Climate Change Threatens Half of Winter Olympic Host Cities by 2050

Climate change poses a significant threat to winter Olympic host cities, with projections that nearly half of current ski resorts may no longer be suitable for hosting the games by 2050. Research from Daniel Scott at the University of Waterloo shows that average temperatures in many Olympic host cities have risen by 3 degrees since the 1950s, leading to a dramatic decline in natural snowfall.

For the upcoming Winter Olympics in Italy, heavy snowfalls in the Alps brought initial relief to organizers, but the Alps are warming faster than the global average. This has led to the production of 1.6 million cubic meters of artificial snow, making up 85% of the snow surface at the competitions. This heavy reliance on artificial snow is consistent with trends observed since artificial snow was first used in the Olympics in 1980.

The shrinking natural snowfall and warmer conditions raise athlete safety concerns, with injury risks increasing sixfold during events under warmer weather. Previously, Winter Olympics such as those in Pyeongchang and Vancouver lost over 80% of their February snow due to warming.

Looking forward, only 52 out of 93 surveyed ski resorts are projected to remain safe for holding the Winter Olympics in February 2050, and only 22 for the Paralympics. Potential adaptive measures include relocating events to higher altitudes or rescheduling the Olympics to earlier months, which could double the number of suitable Paralympic venues.

These findings underscore the urgent challenges climate change presents to winter sports and the future viability of traditional Olympic host locations.