Higher Altitudes Protect Some Slopes
Many of the areas that have been impacted are at lower altitudes; several ski areas at higher altitudes in the Alps and Pyrenees are still open for business. The French resort Val Thorens, which sits at more than 7,540 feet (2,500 meters) above sea level, for instance, is still open and covered with snow.
But the toasty temperatures, combined with other impacts, like rain and wind, have even forced some of the higher-altitude ski areas to close. In Switzerland, the Splügen resort, which sits at an altitude of more than 4,920 feet (1,500 meters) above sea level, has had to close all its runs until further notice thanks to “lack of snow, heavy rainfall and high temperatures.”
