Machine-made snow makes ski racing faster and more dangerous — and it’s everywhere

When viewers tune in to the 2026 Winter Olympics, they’ll see pristine white slopes, groomed tracks and athletes racing over snow-covered landscapes, thanks in part to… The storm that covered the mountainous places Italian Alps with fresh powder at the right time.

But at lower elevations, where cross-country and other events are held, athletes and organizers were braving rain; Fluffy and sometimes slushy snow; and machine-made ice surfaces.

“Most of our races are on machine-made snow,” Rosie Brennan, a cross-country skier on the 2026 U.S. Olympic team, told us before the Games. “TV productions are great at making it seem like we’re in snowy winter places, but this year has been particularly bad.”

Like scientists who Study of mountain snow and water resources and Human impact on winter warmingWe see winter changes through the data: High temperatures, Shrinking snow, Snow seasons are shorter.

Olympic athletes experience changing winter conditions personally, in ways that the public and scientists rarely do. Less snowfall and increased rainfall affect when and where they can train, and how they train How dangerous the terrain can become.

We talked to Brennan And cross-country skiers Ben Ogden and Jack Young as they prepared for the 2026 Winter Games. Their experiences mirror what many athletes describe: a sport increasingly defined not by the vagaries of natural winter but by the reliability of artificial snowmaking.

What the cameras don’t show

Snowmaking technology makes it possible to create half-pipes for snowboarding and freestyle skiing competitions. It also allows races to be held when natural snow is scarce – 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing It relies entirely on machine-made ice For many genders.

However, machine-made snow creates a completely different surface than natural snow, which changes racing.

In clouds, each unique snowflake shape is determined by temperature and humidity. Once shaped, the iconic star shape begins to take shape They slowly erode as their crystals become round spheres. In this way, natural snow provides a variety of textures and depths: fine powder after a storm, firm or fluffy snow in cold weather, and slushy, wet snow during rain or melt events.

Machine-made ice varies less in texture or quality. Her life as a person begins and ends A snowball surrounded by a thin layer of liquid water. This makes them slower to change, easier to shape, and once frozen, they harden in place.

“It’s faster, cooler and takes more risks.”

When artificial snow is made, The sound is piercing – A high-pitched hiss coming from compressed snow gun nozzles. These guns jet water mixed with compressed air, which freezes on contact with the cold air outside, creating small, dense ice particles. Drops sting exposed skin, as one of us, Agnes Missy, knows all too well as a former competitive skier.

Snow machines then push the artificial snow onto the racetrack. Often times, the paths are Only streaks of snow on the horizon – A white stripe surrounded by brown mud and dead grass.

“Playgrounds designed for natural snow look completely different when they are covered in artificial snow,” said Brennan, 37. “It’s faster, icier and takes more risks than anyone could imagine in terms of cross-country skiing.”

There’s nothing like skiing on fresh snow. After a storm brings up a blanket of light, fluffy powder, it can feel as if you’re floating. Snow forgives.

on artificial snow, Skaters carry more speed down the slopes. Downhill racers may enjoy the speed, but cross-country skis don’t have metal edges like downhill skis, so turning or sliding around fast icy corners can make an athlete feel out of control. “It takes a different style of skating, skill sets and strengths than what I grew up with,” Brennan said.

How do athletes adapt with the help of science?

Athletes must adjust their technique and set up their skis differently, depending on snow conditions.

At elite levels, this is science. Snow crystal morphology, temperature, ski base materials and structure, ski stiffness, skier technique, and environmental conditions are all RFID to determine the athlete’s speed.

Before cross-country or Nordic races, ski technicians compare multiple pairs of skis equipped with different base surfaces and waxes. They evaluate how quickly each ski slides and how long that slide is maintained – Characteristics that depend on friction Between skiing and snow.

Compared to natural ice, machine-made ice generally saves More durable and longer lasting surface. In cross country races, this allows this More efficient and stronger batches Without skis or poles you dig deep into the snow. In addition, improvements in machinery used to prepare snow now provide harder, more uniform surfaces Allowing faster skating.

While speed skating is the goal, skating accidents are also the goal The most common cause of injury In the Winter Olympics. With machine-made snow, ski jumping competitors and anyone who falls also lands on a harder surface, which can Increased risk of infection.

Why does winter change?

The weather can always offer surprises, but so can long-term climate trends Changing what to expect from a typical winter.

in the Alps, The air temperature rose By about 3.6 degrees F (2 degrees C) since the late 19th century, before rising use of fossil fuels began to increase levels of greenhouse gases that trap heat in the atmosphere. Globally, 2025 was the year Third warmest year on recordAfter 2024 and 2023.

For mountainous regions, these warmer conditions have consequences. snow It molts early and frequently in mid-winterEspecially during warm periods, which were rare.

Mid-winter snowmelt events occur frequently At higher elevations and earlier in the season across many mountain ranges in western North America. Meanwhile, the snow line — the elevation at which precipitation turns from snow to rain — moves upward.

Warming in high mountain environments is also This causes the threshold for turning rain into snow to rise by tens of meters per decade In some areas. This means that storms that previously covered entire valleys in snow may now move snow only to the upper slopes, with rain falling below.

Together, these changes mean that many winter storms produce less snow, over a smaller area, and for shorter periods than they did a generation ago.

Training places

The changing winter landscape has also changed the way athletes train. Traditional training grounds, such as glaciers that were used for skiing in the summer, have become unreliable. In August 2025, the Hintertux Glacier – the only year-round training center in Austria – announced its opening First temporary closure.

“It is becoming increasingly difficult to plan training locations between races,” Brennan said. “Relying on snow is not good in many places. We often rely on going to higher elevations to have a better chance of snowfall.”

Training at higher altitudes can help, but it concentrates athletes in lower locations, reduces accessibility for young skiers due to distance, and increases costs for national teams. Some of these glaciers – e.g Haig Glacier in Canada or Eagle Glacier in Alaska – It can only be reached by helicopter. When skiers can’t get to the snow, Dryland training on roller skis It is one of the only options.

Winter athletes see climate change

Since winter is where they work, athletes often notice subtle changes before those changes show up in long-term statistics.

Even athletes in their early twenties, e.g young manThey said they have noticed the rapid expansion of snowmaking infrastructure at many racing venues in recent years. Requires ice making Large amounts of energy and water. It’s also a clear sign that regulators see winter as becoming less reliable.

Athletes also testify How are communities affected? When poor snow conditions mean fewer visitors. “In the Alps, when conditions are bad, it’s clear how much it affects communities,” Ogden, 25, said. “Their tourism-based livelihoods are often negatively affected, and their quality of life changes.”

Many winter athletes are speaking out about their concerns. groups like Our winter protectionfounded by professional skier Jeremy Jones, works to promote policies that protect the outdoors for future generations.

A wintry outlook, but an uncertain future

For athletes at the 2026 Olympics, the variability within the Olympic region – snow at higher elevations, rain at lower elevations – reflects a broader reality: winter stability is diminishing.

Athletes know this better than anyone. They race in it. They train in it. They depend on it.

The Winter Games will continue this year. Snow will look good on TV. But at the same time, winter is changing.