Industry News
The heatwave sweeping across central Europe has caused Tignes glacier to close early for the summer, more than a month earlier than scheduled. The Grande Motte glacier, which opened for skiing on 22nd June, has been gradually melting throughout the summer and with poor conditions, the resort announced that skiing is over.
“The glacier has been subjected to high temperatures since the beginning of the summer season, and we are no longer able to operate the slopes in good conditions,” said the Grande Motte Cable Car Company. “Between the heat and the episodes of heatwave, we have no more snow to work. Cracks are formed and it has become dangerous.”
Originally advertising a closing date of September 1st, the lifts were stopped on Thursday, July 25th, the earliest the glacial resort has ever closed. The extreme temperatures that the area has been experiencing have made safety and snow conditions unsuitable for skiing on the glacier.
The glacier will remain open for hikers, climbers, and mountain bikers until August 30th, 2019 and will reopen for autumn skiing on September 28th, 2019.
Last week the summer temperature record was broken with 19.8ºC at 10,500 feet smashing the previous record of 17ºC back in 2003.
Although the glacier was due to be accessible to September 1st for sightseeing etc, skiing and boarding had been due to end August 5th, so it has closed a week early for snowsports. It used to be open 365 days a year for snowsports in the 1980s and 1990s and then it tried to open at least a day in every month of the year, but this year now, and last year, it missed that. Seems to be a bit of a trend developping there and at other glacier ski areas. I wonder what it could be?