FIS Offers Weather & Climate Guidance to Snowsport Event Organisers

To help address these challenges, the International Ski and Snowboard Federation has teamed up with the World Meteorlogical Organisation and have released the Weather and Climate Services for Ski Resorts report.

• When can a resort make snow?
• How can organisers prepare for weather-related disruption?
• Which investments will help destinations adapt to future conditions?

The report draws on weather and climate science to address these questions.

It explains how the industry can anticipate changing conditions, adjust operations accordingly and limit climate-related disruption.

An accompanying practical guide provides a shorter, nontechnical reference for operators.

It explains:

• What weather and climate information they need
• When to use it
• Where to find relevant forecasts, data, and tools

Both resources are designed for those running ski facilities, managing mountain destinations, and organising ski events and winter festivals.

They also help National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) and other providers develop and deliver relevant services.

Disrupted seasons are already exposing the vulnerability of snow sports to changing weather conditions.

During the 2025/2026 season alone, adverse weather forced the cancellation of 25 Ski World Cup races, according to internal FIS calculations.

The longer-term outlook adds urgency.

Research published in Nature Climate Change projects that, at 2°C of warming above preindustrial levels, 53% of 2,234 ski resorts across 28 European countries would face a very high risk of insufficient snow without snowmaking.

Rising temperatures and retreating glaciers are making snow less reliable and reducing the availability of suitable training & competition venues.

At lower elevations in mountain regions, snow cover duration has declined by an average of five days per decade since the mid-20th century (with regional variations).

2015–2025 were the 11 warmest years on record globally, and widespread glacier loss continued across all regions for four consecutive years.

The pressure to adapt is growing, particularly for lower-elevation resorts, where warmer temperatures, limited water supplies, and energy costs constrain snowmaking.

Gurgl World Cup. Image © PlanetSKI

See here for  the full  Weather and Climate Services for Ski Resorts report.

It offers a practical guide explain how weather and climate information can support decisions across three planning timescales:

• Running daily operations: Live weather updates, short-term forecasts, weather warnings, and avalanche bulletins can help teams operate lifts safely, plan grooming and snowmaking, keep visitors informed, and decide whether events can go ahead.

• Preparing for the season: Forecasts covering the weeks and months ahead can help managers plan opening and closing dates, staffing, budgets, and event schedules. Forecasts can also guide snowmaking, water and energy use, and marketing.

• Investing for the future: Historical records and projections of future climate conditions can help destinations decide where to invest, how much snowmaking capacity they may need, and how to develop activities beyond skiing. This information can also inform insurance decisions and broader plans to adapt to a changing climate.

Reporting by the International Ski & Snowboard Federation, FIS.