Warmer Winter Leaves Southern Swiss Ski Resorts Green and Facing Financial Strain

Southern Switzerland is confronting a staggering reality: the winter has effectively vanished. Resorts that once served as the training grounds for ski legends like Lara Gut-Behrami are now fighting for their very existence against an unprecedented lack of snow. In the Leventina valley, the situation is critical. The Carì resort, situated at a high altitude between 1,650 and 2,300 meters—elevations that historically guarantee deep powder—remained shockingly green at the start of January.

This is not a minor weather fluctuation; it is an acute crisis for the region's identity and economy. Further up the valley in Airolo, the conditions mirror this bleak landscape. With insufficient precipitation to generate adequate cover, only a fraction of the slopes have been prepared, leaving vast stretches of the mountain unskiable. The visual contrast is jarring and serves as an undeniable testament to the warming climate that is hitting the southern side of the Gotthard Pass with significantly more force than the north.

The ecological crisis has rapidly mutated into an economic emergency. Facing idle lifts and empty runs, resort operators are being forced to take drastic measures to protect their bottom line. In a move that highlights the severity of the situation, the Airolo ski resort has officially submitted an application to the canton for short-time work compensation. This desperate maneuver affects 40 employees whose livelihoods are now tethered to government aid rather than tourism revenue.

Officials in Carì are currently examining similar measures, signaling a potential domino effect across the region. Short-time work is a mechanism designed for industrial downturns, yet it is now becoming a necessary lifeline for tourism in the age of climate change. Without snow, the economic engine of these alpine communities stalls completely. The financial strain is immediate, threatening not just this season's profits, but the long-term viability of employment in these mountain valleys.

The numbers paint a grim picture of the current season. Over the critical Christmas holiday period—usually the most lucrative time of the year—visitor numbers plummeted. In Bosco/Gurin, the average daily guest count dropped to just 250, a significant decline from previous peaks of 320. Giovanni Frapolli, owner of the Bosco/Gurin winter sports facilities, did not mince words when speaking to public broadcaster RSI: "That’s very few. But that’s the reality we’re facing with this bizarre climate."

This "bizarre climate" is reshaping the behavior of tourists and the expectations of locals. While the Blenio Valley and Bosco/Gurin struggled with a disastrous start, resort directors like Denis Vanbianchi remain defiantly optimistic, expressing satisfaction that they could offer any skiing at all. However, the reliance on marginal conditions creates a fragile business model. When the snow disappears, so do the skiers, leaving resorts to manage high fixed costs with a fraction of the necessary revenue.

Survival in the southern Swiss Alps now comes with a steep price tag. Most Ticino resorts have admitted they cannot survive without significant public subsidies. Recognizing this existential threat, the cantonal parliament recently approved a critical lifeline: a new loan of nearly CHF 6 million to sustain these operations over the next four winters. This funding is not for expansion, but for preservation.

Simultaneously, resorts are doubling down on technology to fight the temperature rise. New snowmaking systems have been installed in the Blenio Valley, and Bosco/Gurin is planning a solar power plant and reservoir to produce artificial snow more cheaply. While these technical solutions offer a buffer, they are expensive and energy-intensive. As the climate continues to warm, the race between rising temperatures and the capacity to manufacture winter is becoming the defining battle for the future of Swiss tourism.