Winter Olympics on Thin Ice: Climate Change Rewrites Snow, Venues, and the Games' Future

Climate change is eroding reliable winter conditions, and Milan-Cortina 2026 highlighted heavy reliance on man-made snow amid unusually warm weather. A new study estimates that by the 2050s–2080s only a minority of potential sites could reliably host February Games, forcing the IOC to rethink venue spread and timing, while athletes push for systemic action to cut emissions and safeguard the sport’s future.