Garmisch-Partenkirchen referred to - End of skiing at Zugspitze: nearly ideal weather.
The final stretch of good weather with plenty of sunshine wrapped up the ski season on the Zugspitze on Wednesday near perfect conditions. With only a bit more snow towards the end, the weather cooperated as well. "The conditions on Zugspitze are still exceptional, with significant snowfall throughout April," stated Verena Tanzer, spokesperson for the Bavarian Zugspitzbahn. Thick layers of snow still remain in certain spots, thanks to 100% natural snow as there's no artificial snow on Germany's tallest peak.
Skiers can squeeze in a few more turns on Nebelhorn near Oberstdorf on Wednesday too, as it will cease operations on May 1, alongside Zugspitze. These two resorts were able to last until the planned end, despite the unpredictable winter. However, in February, the warm weather disrupted the winter sports streak and led to many resorts prematurely shutting down.
"This winter presented a rollercoaster of events for the Bayerische Zugspitzbahn," added Tanzer. At the start of the season, on December 1, Zugspitze saw more than 2.7 inches of fresh snowfall - a rare occurrence in the past two decades. The lower Garmisch-Classic region, which includes all lifts and pistes, started off effectively in mid-December with great snow conditions for both operators and skiers.
"The crazy weather in February and March proved difficult for Zugspitze," Tanzer continued, "The valley runs had to shut down after the carnival vacations. Fortunately, the lifts higher up in the mountain were still functioning throughout April."
Unfortunately, ski resorts located at lower altitudes had a very unhappy winter, with temperatures reaching positives even in February, ending hopes of snowmaking. These resorts were aiming to operate until Easter, but this wasn't achievable in many areas.
Climate scientists predict that ski tourism will shift to higher altitudes, threatening high mountain ecosystems in the process. A study conducted at the University of Bayreuth anticipates that roughly 13% of international ski resorts will lose their natural snow cover by the century's end assuming high greenhouse gas emissions.
"It's unsettling to think about the future of skiing with regards to shifting lower altitudes," expressed Roland Stierle, the German Alpine Association's president a few weeks back. "Most of our mountain stations in Bavaria are about 1,500 meters high."
The Association of German Cable Cars shared statistics indicating that out of 733 cable car stations in the country, roughly 80% operate above 1,000 meters and 24% operate below 1,000 meters.
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Source: www.stern.de
