Ski holidays in the Alps could become a thing of the past, scientists warn – figures reveal snowfall has fallen by a third since 1920.

It is one of the most popular ski destinations in the world and home to some of the most prestigious resorts.

But scientists warn that ski holidays in the Alps could soon be a thing of the past.

Scientists at Eurac Research found that snowfall fell by a third between 1920 and 2020.

In some areas the situation is even more dire as surveys reveal a reduction of almost 50 percent on the southwest slopes.

Even though the data goes back 100 years, snowfall did not begin to decrease significantly until 1980.

The researchers note that this coincides with a sharp increase in average air temperatures around the world due to human-caused climate change.

In the most affected regions of the Southern Alps, including Italy, Slovenia and Austria, these changes could threaten the future of winter sports.

Lead researcher Michele Bozzoli says: “The decrease in snow has an impact not only on winter sports, but also on all activities and processes that depend on water.”

With around 400 million people visiting ski resorts around the world each year, snow is an absolutely vital part of the tourism economy.

If the snow melts during the ski season between December and April, resorts have no choice but to offer shorter, less profitable seasons.

Around the world, there is growing concern that climate change will make it impossible to keep trails open.

In their new study, the researchers gathered a century of snowfall data from 46 locations in the Alps by combining records from modern weather stations with handwritten notes dating back to the early 20th century.

This created the first comprehensive overview of how snowfall has changed over the past 100 years.

Mr Bozzoli says: “There is a clearly negative trend in terms of fresh snowfall in the Alps, with an overall decrease of around 34%.

“A notable decrease was observed in particular after 1980. This date also coincides with an equally strong increase in temperatures.”

Starting in 1980, the average air temperature recorded at weather stations began to increase rapidly, reaching values ​​almost 1°C (1.8°F) above the 100-year average.

These warmer temperatures mean snow cannot form at lower elevations and precipitation falls as rain.

Despite an overall increase in precipitation, this means that annual snowfall has declined sharply, particularly in warmer, lower-altitude regions.

The South West and South East regions recorded an average loss of 4.9 percent and 3.8 percent respectively each decade.

Northern regions, meanwhile, recorded a smaller but still worrying loss of 2.3 percent per decade.

Mr Bozoli says: “The most negative trends concern regions below 2,000 meters above sea level and are in southern regions such as Italy, Slovenia and part of the Austrian Alps.”

At higher elevations, sufficiently cold temperatures meant that snowfall levels remained largely constant.

However, data shows that temperatures have now risen so much in the southwest and southeast Alps that rain often takes precedence over snow, even at higher altitudes.

Previous studies have shown that climate change puts a number of ski resorts around the world at serious risk of becoming snowless by the end of the century.

Earlier this year, researchers found that one in eight ski resorts worldwide would not experience snow between 2071 and 2100.

The worst affected region is expected to be the Australian Alps, which will only receive 38 days of snow per year.

Even the European Alps, where 69 percent of the world’s ski areas are located, are expected to see 42 percent fewer days of snow cover by 2100.

Similarly, earlier this year, the iconic slopes of Mount Fuji remained snow-free for the longest period in 130 years of records.

Snow didn’t fall on Japan’s highest peak until early November, a month later than the usual date of October 2.

The situation is so serious that many resorts have been forced to store snow in vast, isolated reserves during the summer to supplement the following season’s slopes.

However, the authors of this latest article warn that decreasing snowfall in the Alps will spoil many ski holidays.

Snow plays an essential role in maintaining alpine ecosystems and protecting mountain settlements from flash floods.

When precipitation falls as rain instead of snow, it can quickly flow down steep mountain valleys, leading to increased erosion and greater flooding.

Research conducted last year at Colorado State University found that flooding caused by rain was twice as large as flooding caused by snowmelt.

Mr Bozzoli concludes: “Snow is a crucial water reservoir, it feeds glaciers, mountain streams and, by slowly melting in spring, gradually replenishes water reserves.

“This aspect can no longer be ignored in political planning of water management”