This month, officials of the skiing World Cup took the unprecedented step of cancelling the competition’s first two stages at Soelden in Austria due to a lack of snow on the glacier. It was one of a growing number of problems faced by the winter sports industry that many believe are the result of climate change.

Many European resorts have closed their glaciers for summer skiing in recent years and low resorts across North America and Europe are facing increasing difficulties securing finance and insurance for upcoming seasons.