Climate change risk in the Swedish ski industry

Figures & data

Figure 1. Location of ski areas included in the study.

Table 1. Characteristics of ski area.

Ski resort number	Region	Latitude	Longitude	Ski area size (ha)	Elevation range (m)	Snowmaking (% terrain covered)	Lifts	Pistes (km)	Season end
1	Norrland	63.40 N	13.08 E	1361	380-1274	60	31	91	5th May
2	Norrland	63.17 N	14.64 E	307	590-1010	18	17	25	7th April
3	Svealand	61.94 N	12.99 E	82	675-985	30	3	20	21st April
4	Svealand	59.23 N	17.88 E	14	3-103	100	3	2.7	7th April
5	Norrland	63.16 N	17.24 E	35	71-319	100	5	5	5th May
6	Svealand	59.30 N	18.11 E	11	10-95	80	2	2	7th April
7	Norrland	62.08 N	16.73 E	90	160-450	100	7	16	21st April
8	Norrland	65.71 N	15.29 E	289	439-789	7	10	30	5th May
9	Svealand	60.15 N	12.99 E	31	403-452	100	6	11	7th April
10	Gotaland	57.44 N	13.62 E	32	159-309	100	8	6	7th April
11	Norrland	65.25 N	14.59 E	33	545-950	0	4	18	5th May
12	Svealand	61.03 N	13.34 E	161	420-665	98	19	32	21st April
13	Norrland	62.11 N	13.30 E	193	633-1125	64	8	27	7th April
14	Norrland	62.70 N	12.39 E	153	700-1000	17	9	25	21st April
15	Norrland	68.43 N	18.13 E	299	522-909	0	6	21	5th May
16	Norrland	66.02 N	21.25 E	46	60-240	33	4	7	21st April
17	Svealand	58.32 N	14.92 E	17	177-276	100	6	3	7th April
18	Norrland	62.57 N	12.24 E	172	743-1038	11	16	38	5th May
19	Gotaland	57.97 N	15.62 E	25	115-245	100	4	4.5	7th April
20	Norrland	63.27 N	13.16 E	83	673-990	14	8	22	21st April
21	Gotaland	57.82 N	13.41 E	18	179-288	100	7	2.6	7th April
22	Svealand	59.83 N	12.26 E	16	100-320	38	5	8.4	7th April
23	Norrland	62.48 N	13.97 E	546	448-946	12	10	18	5th May

Note: Lift, pistes and elevation data from Ski Resort Info (2021). Snowmaking data from personal correspondence with resorts. Ski area size data from Demiroglu et al. (2019). Season end date from personal correspondence with resorts or Ski Resort Info (2021).

Table 2. Ski season length (days and percentage reduction compared to the baseline) with only natural snow.

Region	Baseline (days)	RCP2.6			RCP4.5			RCP8.5
		2030s	2050s	2080s	2030s	2050s	2080s	2030s	2050s	2080s
Norrland(sample group 1)	181	150 −17%	148 −18%	149 −18%	148 −18%	139 −23%	127 −30%	144 −20%	126 −30%	87 −52%
Svealand (sample group 2)	57	44 −23%	46 −19%	42 −26%	42 −26%	40 −30%	30 −47%	42 −26%	35 −39%	4 −93%
Gotaland (sample group 3)	40	7 −83%	3 −93%	3 −93%	2 −95%	1 −98%	0 −100%	1 −98%	0 −100%	0 −100%
Sweden (samples 1–3)	125	99 −21%	98 −22%	98 −22%	97 −22%	91 −27%	81 −35%	94 −25%	82 −34%	51 −59%

Table 3. Season length (days and percentage reduction compared to the baseline) with snowmaking.

Region	Baseline	RCP2.6			RCP4.5			RCP8.5
		2030s	2050s	2080s	2030s	2050s	2080s	2030s	2050s	2080s
Norrland (sample group 1)	219	205 −6%	201 −8%	204 −7%	202 −8%	197 −10%	190 −13%	201 −8%	190 −13%	159 −27%
Svealand (sample group 2)	156	114 −27%	106 −32%	106 −32%	101 −35%	85 −46%	67 −57%	98 −37%	66 −58%	44 −72%
Gotaland (sample group 3)	140	114 −19%	101 −28%	101 −28%	95 −32%	69 −51%	48 −66%	89 −36%	27 −81%	1 −99%
Sweden (sample group 1–3)	189	166 −12%	159 −16%	160 −15%	157 −17%	146 −23%	134 −29%	155 −18%	131 −31%	104 −45%

Figure 2. Proportion of snow reliable ski areas under natural snow conditions.

Figure 3. Proportion of snow reliable ski areas with advanced snowmaking.

Table 4. Increases in snow production are required under climate change.

Region	Baseline	RCP2.6			RCP4.5			RCP8.5
		2030s	2050s	2080s	2030s	2050s	2080s	2030s	2050s	2080s
Norrland (sample group 1)	16cm	36 cm 125%	39 cm 144%	39 cm 144%	37 cm 131%	50 cm 212%	64 cm 300%	41 cm 156%	61 cm 281%	151 cm 844%
Svealand (sample group 2)	129cm	198 cm 54%	206 cm 60%	218 cm 69%	215 cm 67%	260 cm 102%	297 cm 130%	225 cm 74%	299 cm 132%	451 cm 250%
Gotaland (sample group 3)	70cm	137 cm 96%	154 cm 120%	161 cm 130%	163 cm 133%	207 cm 196%	237 cm 239%	169 cm 141%	257 cm 267%	396 cm 466%
Sweden (sample group 1–3)	58cm	98 cm 69%	105 cm 81%	109 cm 88%	107 cm 85%	134 cm 131%	157cm 171%	114 cm 97%	159 cm 174%	263 cm 353%

Ski Resort Info. (2021). Ski resorts Sweden. https://www.skiresort.info/ski-resorts/sweden/

 Google Scholar

Demiroglu, O. C., Lundmark, L., & Strömgren, M. (2019). Development of downhill skiing tourism in Sweden: Past, present, and future. Winter Tourism: Trends and Challenges, 305–323. https://doi.org/10.1079/9781786395207.0305

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