How Climate Change Has Put Future Of Winter Olympics On Thin Ice

Last Updated:February 08, 2026, 06:43 IST

With the 2026 Milano Cortina Games underway, the spectacle is being played out under a warming sky

The escalating climate crisis is fundamentally altering the geography and long-term viability of the Winter Olympic Games, say experts. With the 2026 Milano Cortina Games underway, the spectacle is being played out under a warming sky that has seen February temperatures in the Italian Alps rise by approximately 3.6°C since Cortina last hosted the event in 1956. This warming trend is not unique to Italy; a recent study led by the University of Waterloo indicates that of the twenty-one venues that have previously hosted the Winter Olympics, only one might remain climatically reliable by the end of this century if global emissions are not drastically reduced.

The immediate consequence of this “winter squeeze" is an unprecedented reliance on artificial snow. At Milano Cortina 2026, organisers are expected to deploy over three million cubic yards of machine-made snow to ensure consistent competition surfaces. While snowmaking has been a part of the Games since 1980, it has transitioned from a supplemental insurance policy to an essential lifeline. Without it, researchers estimate that only four potential host locations worldwide would be viable by 2050. However, even this technological safety net has its limits. Snow cannons require specific “wet-bulb" temperatures to function effectively; as humidity rises and nights warm, the window for snow production is rapidly narrowing.

Furthermore, the environmental cost of maintaining a wintry facade is significant. The production of artificial snow is water-intensive and energy-demanding, often straining local Alpine ecosystems and depleting reservoirs during a season when water resources are already stressed. The 2026 organisers have faced criticism for their sustainability claims, particularly concerning the felling of old-growth forests for new infrastructure and the inclusion of fossil fuel giants as key sponsors. Critics argue that these actions contradict the International Olympic Committee’s stated goal of making the Games “climate positive" by 2030.

The threat is even more acute for the Winter Paralympics, which are traditionally held in March. As the spring sun grows stronger, the probability of maintaining fair and safe conditions for Paralympic athletes drops sharply. By mid-century, it is projected that only a handful of locations will meet the reliability criteria for March events. This has prompted the International Olympic Committee to consider radical shifts in the Olympic calendar, including moving the Games to January to capture the coldest weeks of the year or even introducing traditional summer disciplines like cyclocross to the winter programme to ensure the event’s continued relevance.

Ultimately, say experts, the future of the Winter Olympics depends on a delicate balance between technological adaptation and global climate action. Elite athletes and coaches are already “chasing snow" across continents for training, and nearly 95 per cent of competitors surveyed express deep concern that the sports they love may soon lack a home. Unless the global community meets the targets of the Paris Agreement, the “Queen of the Dolomites" and her peers may eventually find themselves presiding over mountains of rock and grass rather than the pristine snow that defines the Olympic spirit.

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