Record high temperatures leave Nuuk's ski slope empty

The snow should be crunching under the skis, and the mountains above Nuuk should be full of life. Instead, the ski slope is bathed in sunshine and above-average temperatures.

Greenland is experiencing a winter like no other, and record high temperatures have made it impossible to open the Sisorarfiit ski lift.

While climatologists talk about historic heat records, skiers, clubs and families are feeling the consequences up close – in a city where winter usually brings people together.

Record warm winter weather

While the winter should have put Greenland in deep freeze, the thermometers show something completely different. At the Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI), climatologist Caroline Drost Jensen is following the development closely, and in the eight years she has worked with climate data from Greenland, she has never seen anything like it.

"I've never experienced so many heat records at once. It's very remarkable," she says.

The records she refers to are for average temperatures on Greenland's west coast, where January has seen the highest temperatures ever measured for the season. The data series Caroline refers to goes back to 1884 – one of DMI's longest. And one of the places currently experiencing a record warm winter is Nuuk.

- In Nuuk, the average temperature for January is currently -0.2 degrees Celsius – actually higher than the average temperature for Denmark in January, which is -0.6 degrees Celsius. Normally, the average temperature for January in Nuuk would be -7.7 degrees Celsius. In other words: Nuuk is currently experiencing its warmest January ever. Greenland is sweating, explains Caroline Drost Jensen.

The ski slope is empty.

The Sisorarfiit ski lift is deserted. The sun is shining over the mountain, the mountainside is bare, and the ski lift hangs silently in the air. Operations manager Qulu Heilmann stands on the slope wearing sunglasses and points out over the terrain, where the piste normally winds down the mountain.

"We've never experienced anything like this – at least not to this extent," he says, spreading his arms out to show how wide the piste usually is.

Last season, the ski lift opened on December 30th, and normally Qulu and his employees start shoveling snow as early as November. This year, however, there has been no snow at all.

- The possibilities of opening now are zero. We get a lot of questions and inquiries about when we will open, but we can't answer anything other than that we are following the weather closely, explains Qulu.

Skiing activities are a central part of winter life in Nuuk, and the closed ski lift is therefore widely felt in the city.

- It affects both the clubs and the citizens. A large community has been built around the ski lift, and many have grown up with childhood memories out here. One of the most annoying things is the competitive skiers who don't have the opportunity to train, Qulu says with a sigh.

Training paused

One of those who clearly feels the consequences of the lack of snow is alpinist and slalom skier Jesper Labansen. For him, skiing is not just a hobby, but a crucial part of everyday life during the winter months.

- Being an active alpine skier takes up a lot of my life, and it makes me sad not to be able to train for slalom and giant slalom now, when I, and other skiers in town, would normally be well underway building up my form towards the GM and DM, he says.

According to Jesper, this year's late start to the season is far from an isolated incident.

"I can't remember ever having a later alpine season than this year, but unfortunately it's not just this year. It's a clear trend," he says.

That is precisely why he is calling for better conditions for the ski lift in the future.

- I hope that the ski lift will have better conditions for producing snow itself. At the same time, it would be a great help if the terrain at the lift could be worked on, so that fewer deep gorges have to be filled with snow before the season can start. If alpine sports are to have a secure future, it unfortunately requires significantly better frameworks than those we have today, says Jesper Labansen.

The dream is shared by the operations manager of the Sisorarfiit ski lift, Qulu Heilmann. Together with other enthusiasts, he has established a working group to find a way to artificial snow in Nuuk.

- Snow cannons are our biggest wish. We often have freezing temperatures, but no snow. We could produce snow from minus two degrees and keep the slope open, he explains.

To get inspiration, Qulu Heilmann and a colleague have been on an inspiration trip to Norway, where they have looked at snow cannons. Both he and Jesper have no doubt: Snow cannons are the key to the future of the ski lift. The challenge is the price. Snow cannons require large investments – and thus investors who dare to bet on the winter in a warmer Greenland.

That's why Nuuk is so hot

Nuuk is experiencing record heat, and the reason is a combination of several factors, according to DMI. Right now a so-called temperature swing is sending plus degrees to Greenland, and freezing weather to Denmark. In addition, local weather phenomena such as the Foen wind – warm air currents that blow down the mountains – can briefly raise the temperature. Earlier in January Nuuk reached a high of 11.3 degrees Celsius. And then, of course, climate change.

- Climate change is pushing the level upwards, and for the Arctic it is happening up to four times faster than in the rest of the world. When weather phenomena and climate change coincide, as we are seeing now, we can expect it to happen again in the future, explains climatologist Caroline Drost Jensen.

Unfortunately, the outlook for snow is no more promising. Meteorologist at DMI, Lene Dolmer, is monitoring the weather from the office in Nuuk:

– We might get some light snow showers north of Nuuk, but it doesn't immediately look like there will be enough snow for the ski lift to open for the time being, she says softly.

Furthermore, climatologist Caroline Drost Jensen emphasizes that it is not only Nuuk that is affected by the warm winter weather.

- We are seeing many more high temperature records than low ones. Along the entire west coast of Greenland, the heat is pronounced, the deviations from normal are enormous – in several cases, record-breaking. It is wild, and paints a picture of how the winter weather in Greenland is developing, she concludes.

The empty ski slope in Nuuk is thus more than a temporary winter problem. It is a visible sign of how climate change has already entered everyday life in Greenland. The question is no longer whether winter will change – but how society will adapt to a future where snow can no longer be taken for granted. Because while Greenland sweats, the dream of skiing in Nuuk hangs in a delicate balance between freezing temperatures, investments and a rapidly changing climate.