Warm spell melts Levi snow, but World Cup stays on track

An unusually long spell of warm weather is melting snow at Levi ski resort in Kittilä, Lapland, but the slalom World Cup races scheduled for Nov. 13–15 are expected to go ahead, Yle reports.

The Finnish Meteorological Institute’s Eetu Rimo said the situation is exceptional, with similar conditions rarely seen in the past 30 years. Temperatures in Lapland are expected to fall next week, but daytime highs of around 3–5C will still be slightly above average. A forecast for Finland as a whole puts temperatures 1–2C above average from November through January.

Rimo said climate change is contributing to exceptional weather conditions becoming more frequent, making unusual conditions increasingly commonplace.

The warm weather has shortened Levi’s first-snow cross-country ski trail from four kilometres to just over one kilometre. On the ski slopes, snow is also melting, but Levi Ski Resort chief executive Jouni Palosaari said the runs do not need to close. An ice layer about two metres thick beneath the snow remains, and more snow can be made when the water and air are colder and the air is drier. Snowmaking requires temperatures of about 5C below zero.

Snow stored at Levi is reserved exclusively for the World Cup. Palosaari said the resort has agreed with the International Ski Federation that the races will take place. Snow will be spread on the World Cup slopes from Sunday, with the course due to be ready for the federation’s snow-control inspection next Thursday.

Palosaari said the resort is committed to its seven-month snow guarantee, though it is considering whether the season may shift further towards spring.