Overview
- Organizers prepared roughly 56 million cubic feet (about 2.4 million cubic meters) of manufactured snow for the 2026 Winter Games, with estimates that about 85% of competition surfaces rely on artificial coverage.
- Athletes and experts say man‑made snow creates faster, icier courses that change racing conditions and can heighten injury risk, drawing fresh concern during these Games.
- An IOC‑commissioned analysis projects that by the 2050s only 52 of 93 past or potential Winter Games sites will remain climate‑reliable under current emissions trajectories.
- To preserve snow and colder conditions, events are being staged at higher‑altitude venues such as Bormio and Livigno, and the IOC is considering earlier dates and tighter climate requirements for future hosts.
- Studies detail heavy resource demands for artificial snowmaking, including Alps‑wide seasonal energy needs around 2,100 GWh and Italian annual water use of roughly 100–150 million cubic meters, with researchers warning of economic lock‑in risks.