Ski firm refuses to refund skiers over lack of snow in Alps: ‘Hopeful’ it will fall by next week 

Unusually warm weather in the Alps has put ski holidays in doubt as the Ski World Cup prepares to host the tournament on artificial snow.

And a ski holiday booking company under siege has come under fire for refusing to budge on cancellation policies due to a lack of snow at Alpine resorts.

Snow depth is below average for early January across the region, raising particular concern in Adelboden, Switzerland, where the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup will take place over the weekend.

Race director Toni Hadi said organizers have no choice but to run the race on artificial snow this year.

He said: ‘The weather is changing a bit, but what are we to do here? Do we stop with life?

Snow depth is below average for early January across the region, raising particular concern in Adelboden, Switzerland, where the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup is taking place over the weekend.

Race director Toni Hadi said organizers have no choice but to run the race on artificial snow this year.

The same region on January 8 of last year was covered with white slopes for the competition

Similarly, there was plenty of snow for the tournament in 2021 (pictured)

A weather station in Delemont, capital of the Swiss state of Jura, recorded an average daily temperature of 18.1°C (65°F) on the first day of the year, 2.5°C higher than the previous January record.

MeteoSuisse said in a blog post: “This turn of the year could almost make you forget that we are in the dead of winter.”

Although snow is forecast to fall runways Sunday afternoon and into Monday, experts say it’s unlikely there will be enough to reopen all affected runways.

As a result of the lack of snow, Crystal Ski Holidays has been inundated with messages from confused and angry customers who are flying out on vacation this week.

Many request modifications to their reservations to be able to travel when there is more snow on the slopes.

This slope near Schladming, Austria is one of many that has less snow than usual at this time of year.

The high regions of the Alps can expect substantial snowfall in the coming days, but there are concerns that there will not be enough to reach the lower slopes.

But the company is using the forecast change in the weather to justify its decision not to allow changes in the upcoming holidays.

When pressed by a client regarding a booked ski trip to Bulgaria, a spokesperson said: “We understand your disappointment, but the decision was based on the forecast and information received from the resort.”

“We are very hopeful that conditions will improve for skiing next week.”

A Weather To Ski report said today: “It takes more than one big storm to get things running smoothly again, especially in the hardest-hit areas.”

And frustrated customers have also pointed out that the forecasts seem to indicate slight improvements, but not necessarily enough to get their money’s worth.

A Crystal Ski spokesman said that in Bulgaria, the resort team is “confident that temperatures are dropping and it should be cold enough for snow cannons,” along with snowfall for next week.

While snow is forecast to hit the slopes Sunday afternoon and into Monday, experts say it’s unlikely there will be enough to reopen all affected slopes.

The Alps are experiencing record warm winter temperatures and snow depths are below average for early January across the region. Pictured: People skiing on a cross-country trail in Ramsau, Austria

Skiers go down a slope in a snowless part of Schladming, Austria

But customers have since claimed that when they called the resort themselves, no such guarantees could be made regarding the use of artificial snow.

The company offers a ‘snow promise’ which states: ‘If the snow lets you down, we’ll do everything we can to get you on the slopes of another resort.’

But the guarantee comes with terms and conditions that stipulate that there must be no snow at your resort and the mountain must be completely enclosed.

In cases where there are still short tracks open, or if small amounts of snow fall, the company is not obliged to deal with the guarantee.

The most affected areas at the moment are in the northwestern Alps, below 1,600m.

There, the natural snow cover is currently extremely patchy.

Some races are still open at Grindelwal, Megève, Grand Massif, Leysin, Gstaad, La Clusaz, Wengen and Villars, while Morzine offers two short races.

Crystal Ski Holidays has been inundated with messages from customers who are confused and angry about flying to destinations across Europe for ski holidays this week. Many request modifications to their reservations to be able to travel when there is more snow on the slopes

People ride the cable car on the snowless ski slope on the Bjelasnica mountain near Sarajevo, Bosnia

The resorts higher up in the mountains don’t have as many problems with snow and routes have opened up, however they are under increasing pressure with guests from the lower resorts coming up for day trips.

Significant snowfall is expected at most French, Italian and Swiss resorts.

A spokesman for Crystal Ski, part of Tui, said: “We are aware that the resorts in Bulgaria are not seeing the snow conditions that we would expect at this time of year.”

“Both our teams on the ground and our suppliers have been closely monitoring the situation over the past few weeks to ensure our customers are informed as quickly as possible if weather will affect their journey.

“For customers traveling to Bulgarian resorts this weekend, ski trips will continue as planned as the weather will improve over the next few days with snow forecast for the week and temperatures expected to drop, which that would allow the use of artificial snow”. mod cons.’

The Saint Gervais ski resort in the northern Alps, France, saw some of its ski slopes close due to mild weather.