The Advertiser
By: David Derbyshire, London
Some of the world's leading ski resorts are running out of snow, say researchers.
The number of "snow days'' in the Swiss Alps has plummeted over the past 20 years - and there is a real danger some resorts will struggle to survive.
The warning follows a study into snowfall across Switzerland over the past 60 years.
It found that amounts declined dramatically in the late 1980s and - despite the occasional snowy winter since - have not recovered.
"From the data it looks like a change in the large-scale weather pattern,'' Dr Christoph Marty, who carried out the study, told New Scientist journal.
If the lower snowfall levels continue, the future for the winter sport industry at Swiss resorts is grim. High altitude resorts such as Davos had a peak snowfall of more than 1.8m in the 1950s. But today, 0.9m is more common.
Climatologists estimate alpine snow cover today is reliable only above 1200m, compared with 800m four decades ago.
Previous studies have suggested snowfall is declining in the Alps. However, the latest survey is the first to take in 10 years of data from 34 stations between 200m and 1800m above snow level.
In December, 2006, an unusually mild autumn left European resorts in a panic.
Some resorts delayed their opening by weeks as they waited for snow. It was one of the worst seasons in years.
But last year, heavy snow in November got the ski season off to an early start. Some places had the best snow in 50 years.
Some climate change scientists believe warmer winters over the next few decades will see less snow falling in many parts of Europe.
In December, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development warned some resorts could become unviable because of climate change, and resorts under 1500m should focus on other activities.