Competition is set to begin Feb. 6, but Reuters reports funding delays and unseasonably warm temperatures are raising concerns.
Snowmaking is one of the most pressing challenges. The president of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS), Johan Eliasch, said snow production can only happen at night because of high temperatures.
Eliasch said parts of the downhill course currently have no snow, while other venues are facing snowmaking delays.
He said the challenges in Italy show how rising costs and climate change are putting pressure on the Winter Olympics. He has advocated for limiting the Winter Games to a rotating roster of host venues, saying that could reduce infrastructure costs.
The pressures facing Milano Cortina come amid challenges for other winter sports venues.
With Utah’s record-breaking warm temperatures, U.S. Ski and Snowboard announced last week that the 2026 freestyle world cup will not take place as planned at Deer Valley Resort in January. Instead, the competitions will move to New York and New Hampshire.
