The study, commissioned by resorts in The Bernese Oberland to measure the likely impact of global warming on their business, concludes winter revenues will drop 30 percent by 2030, with temperatures rising a maximum of 1.8 degrees Celsius in winter and 2.6 degrees C in summers. However the study predicts summer business will increase and bridge the income gap for many mountain resorts in the region, which include Gstaad, Interlaken, Grindelwald, Wengen, Kandersteg and Interlaken.
The report indicates that winters like the one just passed will be the norm by 2030, with the snow level rising to about 5,000 feet above sea level. That would render skiing uneconomical at about a third of the canton's lower ski areas. But summers like that last year, when temperatures hit record highs in Switzerland, could lead to a boom in business as city dwellers escape to the cooler mountains.
