As a sport reliant on the weather, ski resorts have been actively combating the effects of global warming for decades. The 2021/22 ski season experienced unpredictable weather across the regions. Consequently, the Savills Ski Resilience Index has seen more movement than in past years. The Index tracks 61 global ski resorts, analysing a resort’s altitude, season length, temperature, snowfall and snowfall reliability, to determine the reliability and quality of their conditions.

With more glaciers than any other Alpine nation, Swiss resorts consistently hold positions at the top of the ranking. Zermatt ranks first, sitting at the foot of the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise with a summit of 3,900m, and this contributes to the Swiss resort’s long season length, high-quality and reliable snowfall.

However, Switzerland is experiencing hotter summers and less reliable winters, reducing their glaciers’ ice volume and impacting season length and reliability. Demonstrated by Saas-Fee’s minor decline within the ranking, less snow and a shorter season length in 2021/22 caused the car-free resort's lower positioning. Previously open for three quarters of the year, for the 2022/23 season the lifts are set to open in October and close in April.

Conversely, North American resorts Vail and Whistler Blackcomb have climbed the rankings as a result of a series of winter storms and extreme cold weather that brought high volumes of snowfall during the winter season. The weather and domestic appetite for the sport led Vail to extend its winter season to 01 May this year across seven of its resorts.

Conversely, French resorts Méribel and La Rosière along with other Alpine resorts in Europe, have suffered from milder winter weather in recent years, particularly during last year’s ski season. However, on average, these resorts’ snowfall tends to vary from year to year. Altitude and season length boost the overall quality and resilience on a global scale.

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