All eyes are on Milano Cortina right now as athletes gear up for seemingly impossible performances. But none of it would be possible without water. An estimated 1.6 million cubic metres of technical snow is needed to get the venues ready. To produce it, roughly 948,000 cubic metres of water are needed — enough to brew nearly 4 billion espressos, one for half the planet.

Source: Financial Times

That water doesn't come from nowhere. Not everyone's happy about where it's going.

Snowmaking: ski resort’s expensive lifeline

Beyond the Olympics, snowmaking has become existential for ski resorts across the Alps. In Italy alone, over 90% of pistes rely on artificial snow to stay open. Austria and Switzerland aren't far behind. With winters getting warmer and natural snowfall more erratic, resorts depend on their "snow artillery". Because to be economically viable, a resort needs at least 100 days of reliable snow cover (at least 30cm deep) per season. Some insurance companies won't even offer coverage without proven snowmaking capacity.

The costs are staggering. Covering just 1 kilometre of slope requires 12 to 17.5 million litres of water. Then there's the energy bill for pumping all that water uphill. In Switzerland, snowmaking accounts for roughly 17% of total daily operating expenses. It's slowly eating into profit margins.

Snow isn't just for sports

For tourists, snow means holiday. For alpine communities, it means livelihood — drinking water, growing food, raising animals. In times of snow drought like now, conflicts are inevitable.

The heaviest snowmaking happens in November and December, when resorts race to guarantee Christmas openings (often 25% of annual revenue). That's also when Alpine stream flows are at their lowest.

The conflict doesn't end when spring arrives. Technical snow is typically 2-3 times heavier than natural snow. It compacts soil and stunts plant growth. When it melts, water rushes downhill instead of soaking in, increasing erosion.

Here's the part that doesn't get enough attention: this creates a dependency cycle. Dense artificial snow degrades the soil and vegetation beneath it, making the slope harder to maintain naturally. So the more technical snow a resort uses, the more it needs the year after.

We can already see the tension building up between resorts and alpine residents. In La Clusaz, France, activists prevented the construction of a water retention basin, arguing that "tourist snow" shouldn't come before the basic water needs of local communities and farms.

Activists occupied forests in La Clusaz to block a reservoir project. Source: Geoffrey Bire / Hans Lucas via AFP

Job seekers’ prospects

Water consumption for snowmaking in the European Alps is projected to increase by at least 50% by mid-century. Resorts below 1,200 metres — roughly 25% of existing Alpine ski areas — will have to rely almost entirely on technical snow. "Business as usual" isn't an option.

This survival crisis is creating high-value roles at the intersection of engineering, environmental science, and water stewardship. Here's what's emerging and the skills that get you in.

The Precision Snowmakers. The era of blasting snow everywhere is ending. Specialists now combine GIS mapping with micro-climate data to determine exactly when and where to produce snow — down to the specific hour when humidity and wet-bulb temperatures are most efficient. IoT sensor networks and automated systems (like ATASSplus) create heat maps of snow depth to prevent over-production. 

Key skills: IoT sensor design, GIS analysis, climate data modelling, automation software.

The Loop Closers. In a warming climate, every litre needs to earn its keep more than once. Engineers design catchment systems to capture spring meltwater and refill high-altitude reservoirs. "Snow farmers" use thermal insulation to preserve up to 80% of existing snow through summer for autumn reuse. Some resorts are even converting greywater back into technical snow. 

Key skills: wastewater recycling, hydrological engineering, thermodynamic insulation.

Snow farming in Davos, CH. Source: © Marcel Giger

The Ecosystem Guardians. High-volume snowmaking can smother native wildflower meadows, alter soil pH, and disrupt stream cycles. Ecologists monitor these impacts and set "minimum ecological flow" requirements to keep watersheds healthy. 

Key skills: alpine ecology, soil science, riparian management.

The Water Diplomats. Water is shared between skiers, farmers, and villages. These specialists negotiate shared-use agreements  turning private assets into community benefits. For instance, a resort's water storage doubles as a wildfire suppression resource.

Key skills: environmental law, ESG reporting, stakeholder engagement.

These aren't niche positions. These skills can translate directly to water-stressed regions worldwide, from precision agriculture to urban water management. 

Final random bits

The industry is adapting, but not all businesses can survive. Since the 1970s, more than 180 resorts in France have closed their doors — due to a mix of climate change, financial pressures, and competition from larger resorts.

In the case of the Winter Olympics, research from the University of Waterloo paints a stark picture: of the 93 potential host locations identified by the IOC, barely half are expected to remain viable hosts within 25 years. Only 4 would have enough natural snow to pull it off without artificial help. Athletes like U.S. snowboarders Jeremy Jones and Bea Kim are among those speaking up about the future of their sports.

Bea Kim advocating for climate actions. Source: Instagram

As we watch the Milano Cortina Games unfold, the snow beneath the athletes tells a bigger story. Somewhere uphill, a pump is running, a reservoir is draining. Perhaps it's time to ask ourselves: Is it time to redefine our relationship with the mountain, or will we continue to fight nature at any cost?

What’s your take?