No snow in Europe?
Snow
Snow's a no show
(Cortina D Ampezzo, Italy)
CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, ITALY — Up here in the Alpine Dolomites, the
wide vista is painted with warm, vivid colors: swatches of deep-green pines,
golden straw, grassy pastures and pink limestone ridges.
It would be an idyllic panorama — if this were not the dead of winter and the
height of the ski season in Italy's most renowned, and most stylish, mountain
resort. Just about the only snow to speak of these days is artificial, spewed
from the "cannons" lining steep runs that wind for hundreds of yards down the
jagged peaks.
Europe is enduring one of its warmest winters on record, part of a global trend
of higher seasonal temperatures from here to the United States and beyond.
Throughout parts of Europe, flowers are blooming out of season, T-shirt weather
is changing the winter dress code, and sports events are being postponed or
abandoned. Ski-related businesses are suffering, and winter playgrounds from
Austria to Spain have reported a drop in visitors.
"I've never seen it so green," said Benedetta Scatafassi, a businesswoman in
Rome who has been vacationing at her winter home in Cortina for years. Forgoing
the skis this season, she decided to go to one of the spas that have sprung up
in fancier hotels; in contrast to the slopes, the spa was packed.
Maybe Europe won't talk about this.
After a slow start to the season, snow cover may have built up at
the big-name, high-level Swiss resorts like Davos, Zermatt and St. Moritz. But
less-famous names, still waiting for snow, are planning to seek alternative
sources of tourist cash.
"The lifts were open over the Christmas season. Now it's over, I don't know,"
said Luca, a Locarno resident trekking along paths muddied by melted snow on the
steep slopes above the town.
"It makes it a lot quieter for walking."
Above Locarno on the 1400-metre Cimetta – blanketed in snow last year – the ski
lifts and restaurant are closed. A thin trail of brown-streaked old snow runs
down a short slope in the shadows.
The word here from our European visitors is that hang glider pilots are out thermaling in Europe.
Discuss Snow at the Oz Report forum
Link to this article: http://OzReport.com/1169172191
