This study aims at describing climatic conditions favouring winter tourism in the test area of the Paneveggio – Pale diSan Martino Park (Western Trentino Region, Western Italian Alps), using a new statistical approach for climatic parameters. The problem of duration, thickness and spatial distribution of the snow cover, progressively more relevant in the framework of the present global warming, besides its strong impact on winter tourism has a wide impact on the environment of mountain areas, inducing dimensional variations of glaciers and significantly influencing water resources. We verified the actual distribution and entity of snowfalls monitored at different elevations to investigate on the real favorability of average climatic conditions for winter sports (extremely important for the local economy). Lessening of snowfalls sided by a slight but stable enhancement of average temperatures determines in the study area a relevant decrease of “skiabkle” days; obviously, artificial production of snow, possible also at the beginning of the skiing season, allows to balance this loss, at least at not too low altitudes.

 

skiing, Alps, climatology, alpine, skiability index