The Matthew at JCU In Photos

Alpine Skiing On Changing Snow: Climate Change Is Melting The Apennines

Castel del Monte, Abruzzo: Wide snowless landscape contrasts with line of skiers, hiking to the summit, on March 10, 2025.

In Photos

By Neddie Clews | Photoreporter

A month of skiing is lost on Italy’s tallest mountain due to changing climate. With a steady decline of snowfall in recent years within the central Italian region of Abruzzo, the infamous Apennine mountains have become less and less accessible to skiers.

Alpine skiers have frequented the region for decades, but according to PACC Abruzzo, the Climate Change Adaptation Plan of Abruzzo, it is one of the Italian regions with the highest vulnerability to climate change. This is mainly due to its high climatic diversity, as it extends from the Adriatic Sea to the peak of Gran Sasso standing at 2,912 meters.

“Snow like this now only comes once a season,” said Matteo Centemero, an alpine ski instructor for Franco Alletto Mountaineering School, standing on ½ a meter of fresh snow, on a 10ºc day in February. Centemero has been skiing in Abruzzo for over 30 years and has noticed a fundamental difference in the snow conditions from his youth until now. While trying to instruct the avalanche safety portion of the course, he commented on the difficulty in having enough snow to even demonstrate how to properly use the rescue equipment.

Other residents of the region recall past ski seasons lasting from November to May, but now the first snow frequently is not until after new year and only lasts until mid-April. As a result, many hotels in the area have closed early, due to the lack of tourism that used to be plentiful.

In a recent study done by the academic journal The Cryosphere, researchers analyzed archived climatology reports from central and southern Apennines from 1951 to 2001. Their results show that in the 50-year period the average number of days where there is snow coverage has decreased from 65 to 45, demonstrating a loss of 20 days of snow coverage, equivalent to almost the whole month of February.

The sport of alpine skiing relies heavily on natural snowfall as there is no capacity to utilize man-made snow as in large, curated ski resorts. When a huge chunk of days of natural snow coverage is lost, the season is significantly reduced, and the sport and region is dramatically affected.

Castel del Monte, Abruzzo: Skiers put on light layers to prepare for a hike in direct sunlight in Parco Nazionale del Gran Sasso. March 10, 2025.
Caramanico Terme, Abruzzo: Silvia Scholl, hikes with skis on dirt road in front of Carabinieri car, on February 1, 2025.
Castel del Monte, Abruzzo: Alpine skiers struggle to walk up the last remains of snow on an unusually warm day in Parco Nazionale del Gran Sasso, on March 10, 2025.
Caramanico Terme, Abruzzo: Manfredi Maglio and Valentine Jüenger hike up a road usually covered in snow with skis on a backpack, attempting to find snow on Monte Rapina, on February 1, 2025.
Caramanico Terme, Abruzzo: a group of skiers ascend Monte Rapina via a small patch of snow, due to climate change. February 1, 2025.
Caramanico Terme, Abruzzo: Alpinists hike in weather of 10ºc and direct sun, contrasting the cold temperatures experienced in the same month in years past on Monte Rapina, on February 16, 2025.
Passo Godi, Abruzzo: Pia Coelli analyzes layers of snow on Cima Scalone, assessing low avalanche risk as snow is heavy and wet due to recent rain and warm weather on March 2, 2025.
Caramanico Terme, Abruzzo: Franco Grillo takes off layers of clothing during a trek up Monte Rapina on an usually warm day.
February 1, 2025.
Caramanico Terme, Abruzzo: Skiers creating tracks in the snow on a hot sunny day on Monte Rapina. February 16, 2025.
Castel del Monte, Abruzzo: Wide snowless landscape contrasts with line of skiers, hiking to the summit, on March 10, 2025.
Caramanico Terme, Abruzzo: Alpine Ski instructor Matteo Centemero skies down Monte Rapina on February 16, 2025.
“Snow like this, now only comes once a season,” said Centemero.
Caramanico Terme, Abruzzo: Warm temperatures heating moisture from melted snow on Monte Rapina creates late afternoon fog. February 1, 2025.