Erick Burgueño Salas
Research expert covering climate change and the water industry
Get in touch with us nowAnnual duration of snow cover in the French Alps 1961-2017
The number of snow days has been decreasing since the 1960s. According to Météo France, there would be five fewer snow days every 10 years. While in 1963, there were 200 days of snowfall, there were only 115 in 2017. The same is true for heavy snowfalls (one meter of snow and more), with a significant falling recurrence over the decade. In 2017, only one day with more than one meter of snow on the ground was recorded. The years without heavy snowfall have multiplied since the end of the 80s.
This lack of snow in a mid-mountain resort is a high risk for all winter sports tourism professionals where many resorts have to plan for increasingly short snowy seasons.
In order to measure snow cover in the mountain regions of France, Météo France relies on readings recorded at the Col de Porte station, located at an altitude of 1,325 meters in the heart of the Chartreuse Massif.
This lack of snow in a mid-mountain resort is a high risk for all winter sports tourism professionals where many resorts have to plan for increasingly short snowy seasons.
In order to measure snow cover in the mountain regions of France, Météo France relies on readings recorded at the Col de Porte station, located at an altitude of 1,325 meters in the heart of the Chartreuse Massif.
