Centered in Switzerland, the ski resorts of the European Alps span eight countries, from France in the west to Austria and Slovenia in the east. It is estimated that 35% of the world's ski resorts are concentrated in the Alps. On average, the ski season in the Alps is now 38 days shorter than it was 50 years ago. Furthermore, the coldest part of the ski season has gradually shifted from the high season in December, which used to coincide with the Christmas vacations, to January and February. The lack of snow during the vacations means that fewer people are going to the ski slopes.

The snowfall in the Alps in 2017 was the lowest since 1874, when the Swiss Federal Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research started keeping records. At last count, more than 200 ski resorts in the Alps have been abandoned due to lack of snow and related reasons.

In Japan, the total amount of snowfall is also decreasing nationwide due to global warming. According to observations by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), the amount of snowfall is decreasing in northern Japan, eastern Japan, and the Sea of Japan side of western Japan, especially the Sea of Japan side of western Japan, which has not experienced sustained heavy snowfall since 1990.If we do not take any action against global warming and temperatures continue to rise by about 4℃, the JMA's future forecast predicts that the amount of snow cover throughout Japan, except for some areas in Hokkaido, will decrease by about 70 percent.

For the past 10 years, ski resort openings have been pushed back every year due to a lack of snow. There is even a ski resort in the mountains of Fukui Prefecture that has not been able to open for even one day in the past two seasons due to a serious lack of snow. Trying to secure slopes with artificial snowfall is too costly and unprofitable. At this rate, ski resorts in western Japan are expected to close one after another. The footsteps of global warming are surely approaching here as well.

Casual observers may point to periodic heavy snowfalls severe enough to cause traffic paralysis to occur in some years. It is true that while light snowfalls are on the rise, and there are also seasons of heavy snowfalls. However, even this snowfall is also a result of global warming, as rising sea water temperatures have increased the amount of water vapor in the air, resulting in heavy snowfalls.

episode 9
Ski Resorts are in Decline in Japan and Around the World

Detailed Data and Explanation 1:
Snow in Japan is decreasing.

Source: Japan Meteorological Agency
( https://www.data.jma.go.jp/cpdinfo/monitor/2021/pdf/ccmr2021_sec2-5.pdf )

The Japan Meteorological Agency reports on changes in snowfall in Japan. According to this report, there is a declining trend in northern Japan, eastern Japan, and western Japan, and all regions saw a significant decrease from 1980 to 1990.

How to read the graph: This graph shows the amount of snowfall each year as a bar graph, indicating whether the amount of snowfall is greater or less than the base value. The base value is the average for the 30 years from 1991 to 2020. Taking that as 100, the graph shows whether there is more or less snow in each year. n other words, it shows whether there was more or less snow in the past compared to the most recent 30 years. The red lines indicate the long-term change trend, both of which are declining to the right, indicating there is less snow in each year.