Lack of snow, warm weather spoiling ski season in Europe

A growing number of ski resorts in Europe are struggling to provide skiers with the white powder that usually blankets their slopes this time of year.

Recent temperatures soaring above 20Chave severely disrupted operations, even forcing some resorts to temporarily close. Take a look atsome of thesealpine skiresorts.

Snowless ski slopes

Switzerland is warming at about twice the global average rate due in part to the heat-trapping effect of its mountains, according to a report by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.Its average temperature of around 7.4 Cin 2022 was by far the warmest year since records began in 1864, MeteoSwiss said.

The Chuenisbrglislope is pictured on Friday, on the eve of the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup events in the Swiss mountain resort of Adelboden.

(Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images)

Aperson skies downa slope at the Adelbodenresort on Friday.

(Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images)

A small layer of artificial snowin Leysin, a resort village in the Vaud Alps in western Switzerland, is pictured on Wednesday.

(Denis Balibouse/Reuters)

In Austria

People skion a slope near Schladming, Austria, on Friday, amidunseasonably warm weather.

(Matthias Schrader/The Associated Press)

Skiers on a slope in nearby Filzmoos, Austria, onFriday, where the forecast is a high of 7 C.

(Matthias Schrader/The Associated Press)

Skiers descend on a slope covered in artificial snow as grass covers the rest of the hill in Ramsau am Dachstein, Austria, on Friday.

(Daniel Kopatsch/Getty Images)

Winter sports enthusiasts skion a narrow cross-country pathin Ramsau.

(Matthias Schrader/The Associated Press)

In Bosnia-Herzegovina

Melting snow is seen on a ski slopeat a ski centre in Bjelanica, near Sarajevo, on Thursday.

(Dado Ruvic/Reuters)

An aerial view shows melting snow on a ski slope at the ski centrein Bjelanica.

(Dado Ruvic/Reuters)

Melting snow and snow machines are seenat theski centrein Bjelanica.

(Dado Ruvic/Reuters)

Elsewhere in Europe

A view of a closed ski slope at a ski resort near Liberec, Czech Republic,on Thursday.

(Petr David Josek/The Associated Press)

A staff member works on a slope as snow cannons operate due to lack of snow at the Peyragudes ski resort, southwestern France, on Thursday.

(Charly Triballeau/AFP/Getty Images)

A view of the slalom slopeduring theFIS Alpine Ski World Cup Men's Slalom on Wednesdayin Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.

(Millo Moravski/Agence Zoom/Getty Images)