The Cryosphere
The Cryosphere
TC
Articles | Volume 16, issue 3
Articles | Volume 16, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-863-2022
© Author(s) 2022. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-863-2022
© Author(s) 2022. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Articles | Volume 16, issue 3
Research article
 | 
11 Mar 2022
Research article |  | 11 Mar 2022

Past changes in natural and managed snow reliability of French Alps ski resorts from 1961 to 2019

Lucas Berard-Chenu, Hugues François, Emmanuelle George, and Samuel Morin

Data sets

The S2M meteorological and snow cover reanalysis in the French mountainous areas (1958-present) M. Vernay, M. Lafaysse, P. Hagenmuller, R. Nheili, D. Verfaillie, and S. Morin https://doi.org/10.25326/37

Model code and software

Crosscut matching Hugues François https://doi.org/10.15454/COS00O

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Short summary
This study investigates the past snow reliability (1961–2019) of 16 ski resorts in the French Alps using state-of-the-art snowpack modelling. We used snowmaking investment figures to infer the evolution of snowmaking coverage at the individual ski resort level. Snowmaking improved snow reliability for the core of the winter season for the highest-elevation ski resorts. However it did not counterbalance the decreasing trend in snow cover reliability for lower-elevation ski resorts and in spring.
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