VAULION, Switzerland – The once-popular ski runs of Dent de Vaulion in the Swiss Jura Mountains are now deserted as unusually mild weather has driven away winter sport enthusiasts and forced ski resorts to close across the country.

Abandoned pole rods of the ski lift sway in the wind. Crusty snow dots stretches of yellowed grass. Lift pylons stand alone in rocky terrain where cheerful crowds once puffed steam in frigid temperatures.

Switzerland, a major ski destination, is warming at about twice the global average rate partly because its mountains trap heat, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said in a report.

January was exceptionally warm, with temperatures hovering more than 2 deg C above the average between 1990 and 2020, said MeteoSwiss, the federal office for meteorology and climatology.

“We are beating records so often that it doesn’t feel extraordinary any more when it actually is,” said Mr Christophe Salamin, a meteorologist at MeteoSwiss. “We haven’t heard of any cold records in Switzerland for years.”

Winter seemed to be almost over on Feb 2 in Dent de Vaulion, at more than 1,400m above sea level. Skies were clear and temperatures mild at 9 deg C, far above the normal January level of around minus 1 deg C.

Next week is expected to be even warmer, at around 11 deg C.

Mountain Wilderness, a non-governmental organisation focused on preserving mountainous areas, said in 2023 that 65 mechanical ski lifts were rusting away because of the absence of snow and unusually high temperatures. REUTERS