Louise Sallé, edited by Yanis Darras 2:35 p.m., December 27, 2022

Skiing this Christmas won't be easy.

Faced with the lack of precipitation in certain regions, and the current great mildness, nearly half of the slopes in the French ski area are closed.

The small resorts at low altitudes are the most affected by the lack of snow.

After a small cold spell at the beginning of December, France is warming up.

Temperatures have risen well above normal for the season, so much so that France has just had its second warmest Christmas ever recorded.

If some take advantage of this weather, at altitude, the ski resorts look gray. 

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Despite the presence of tourists, professionals are saddened by the lack of snow.

According to the Domaine skiable de France, almost half of the ski slopes are closed at the moment.

But this situation does not affect all stations in France in the same way. 

Heat and rain do not mix well with the snowpack

“The slopes which are closed are first of all slopes in which there has been no preparation of artificial snow”, explains the general delegate of the Ski areas of France, Laurent Reynaud.

"You should know that in France, there is only one track out of three which is protected by artificial snow. And indeed, the situation is more difficult at low altitude, in particular in the Massif Central, in the Vosges and in the Jura. In these places, we are on opening levels which are lower than one in two tracks", he continues at the microphone of Europe 1. 

“We make our best efforts to keep most of the slopes open, but it is not always possible”, recognizes the general delegate.

In particular, the weather conditions and in particular the rain of recent days, which degrades the snowpack. 

A common partial snow cover

But the situation could improve quickly.

"We are a bit like snow farmers, but as the sunshine is predicted to be better, I think the temperatures will become cold again, especially at night, and that we will also be able to regain a capacity for the production of artificial snow, especially at altitude.

If the snow cover is often partial at Christmas, some professionals are worried about financial losses this year.

The answer is not expected before the first week of January, when the results of the start of the season will be revealed.