ROME: Snow fell in the Italian Alps just in time for the start of the Winter Olympics, dispelling fears of artificially covered slopes winding through lush green mountains.
From Bormio, home of the ski mountaineering races, to the Antholz valley where the biathletes will carry their rifles, the sites experienced intense snowfall less than two weeks before the opening ceremony on February 6, an expert said Monday.
“The snow has arrived,” said Italian meteorologist Mattia Gussoni. AFPwhile images of the regions showed white mountain peaks, low snow clouds and covered fields.
The Milan-Cortina Games, which take place from February 6 to 22, will be scattered across the mountains of northern Italy, from alpine skiing in Cortina to freestyle skiing in Livigno.
These resorts, most of which are in the towering Dolomites, are perched between 1,200 and 1,800 meters (3,940 feet and 5,900 feet) above sea level, a height that would traditionally guarantee snow.
But with snow cover in the Italian Alps having halved in the past 100 years due to global warming, organizers feared spring-like conditions.
“In the coming days, especially from tomorrow evening, there will be new and heavy snowfall in the Alps,” Gussoni said. “This is excellent news before the opening of the Olympic Games. At least there will be no shortage of snow at the beginning of February!” he said.
That’s not to say there won’t be demand for artificial snow for the Games, which is made using cannons and guns that shoot water into the cold air, turning it into fine snow.
The international federations that govern skiing and biathlon both require organizers to have snow-making equipment available, should the need arise.
And the 2026 organizing committee has announced plans to produce 2.4 million cubic meters of artificial snow, which will require 948,000 cubic meters of water.
But the planned artificial snow will almost certainly use far less water than was needed during the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, when 890,000 cubic meters were used for the Yanqing alpine ski venue alone. According to Olympic statistics, an additional 1.9 million cubic meters were needed for all other snow sports.
Gussoni said it was “a little too early to say” but whether there would be further snowfall to guarantee a white wonderland throughout the Games right to the finish line.
“There are still too many weeks left. The weather conditions are also expected to be quite variable during these weeks,” he said.
Published in Dawn, January 27, 2026
