Climate Change Threatens the Future of the Winter Olympics
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Climate Change Threatens the Future of the Winter Olympics
February 10, 2026
As athletes compete at the Milan Cortina Winter Games in the Italian Alps, scientists and sports officials are sounding the alarm over a troubling trend: rising global temperatures are rapidly shrinking the list of places that can reliably host a Winter Olympics.
A 2024 scientific study analyzing 93 past and potential Winter Olympic host cities found that even if nations meet their current climate pledges, only 52 locations would remain suitable for hosting the Games by the 2050s. For the Paralympics — held later in the season — that number falls to just 22. In a high-emissions scenario, only four sites would remain viable. Just four locations worldwide could likely host using natural snow alone by 2050: Niseko in Japan, Terskol in Russia, and Val d’Isère and Courchevel in France.
The numbers on warming are stark. February temperatures across every Winter Olympic host city since 1950 have risen by an average of 4.8 degrees Fahrenheit (2.7°C), according to data from Climate Central. In Cortina d’Ampezzo — which last hosted the Games in 1956 — February temperatures have climbed 6.4°F (3.6°C) in seven decades, resulting in roughly 41 fewer days below freezing per year.
This year’s Games have not been immune. Snowmaking machines operated around the clock for weeks ahead of competition, producing nearly 2.4 million cubic meters of artificial snow — requiring approximately 250 million gallons of water. The technology, first used at the 1980 Lake Placid Games, has become indispensable, but critics point out it comes with significant energy and water costs, and even it has limits: cold, dry air is required to make snow, and both are becoming less dependable.
Salt Lake City, slated to host the 2034 Winter Olympics, recorded just 0.1 inches of snowfall in January 2026 — more than 30 inches below its historical average. Scientists describe a “snow-loss cliff” effect, where once average winter temperatures cross a threshold, snowpack can disappear with startling speed.
The International Olympic Committee says it is developing a more flexible hosting model, where no single city needs to stage everything, and has announced that from 2030, climate action will be a contractual requirement for all future host cities.
The stakes extend well beyond sport. Snow acts as a natural water reservoir, storing precipitation in winter and releasing it through spring and summer. Its decline poses a serious threat to drinking water, agriculture, and hydroelectric power for billions of people worldwide.
