We take a look at several European ski resorts comparing the snow cover this winter at the start of the year with that of last season. Méteo France reported that 2022 had ended with some of the warmest weather ever recorded in France for the time of year.
Snowfall at the start of 2023 was close to normal in the southern Alps and at altitude to the north, it said, but very scarce below 2,200 metres and in the Pyrenees.
The elite Swiss resort of Gstaad was reported to have resorted to using helicopters to take skiers to runs connecting the Zweisimmen and Saanenmöser resorts before Christmas.
Not all the continent’s resorts were affected by the recent warm weather, with good snowfall in Italy’s Dolomites, south of the Swiss Alps, as can be seen in this pair of images.
Bosnia was among several countries in Europe facing a seasonal slump amid warm temperatures at the start of 2023, as can be seen in this pair of images of slopes in Bjelašnica near Sarajevo.
A clearly marked reduction in snow cover is visible in this comparison between Christmas 2021 and 8 January 2023 in Bansko, Bulgaria.
In France, 90 monitoring stations recorded new temperature highs over the new year period.
