Overview
- Unseasonably mild conditions saw snow melting from rooftops in Cortina with afternoon highs near 4.5 C, a February warmth that Climate Central says is at least three times more likely due to climate change.
- February temperatures in Cortina have risen about 3.6 C since the town first hosted the Games 70 years ago, with far fewer freezing days now recorded each year.
- The 2026 Games’ wide geographic spread exposes events to sharply different local weather, prompting sensors at key sites and on-the-ground “scientists of the snow,” with forecasts calling for more above-average temperatures.
- The IOC said it could shift future Winter Games to January, a move researchers find would expand reliable hosts, as a 2024 study projects the pool of viable Olympic sites halving by the 2050s and greater constraints for the Paralympics.
- Artificial snow and refrigeration remain essential to run events yet raise energy, water and fairness concerns, while athletes and teams adjust gear, preparation and hydration for variable conditions.