The snow melts much faster than before at Folgefonna. Already on Sunday, the season was over at the summer ski center, which has applied for support to buy new snow cannons.
Daily manager Michael Iversen at Visitfonna says to Bergens Tidende that 2019 has been the most snow-poor year at Folgefonna ever.
“The snow melts much faster than we are used to. It goes beyond us and many others in Jondal, like accommodations and other industries,” says Iversen. “The summer ski center closed on Sunday, but in a normal year it would have been in operation until the end of September,” he says.
Last year we closed on July 20. I don’t think we’d shut down so early.
Visitfonna has applied to Jondal Municipality’s business fund for support for new snow cannons. This way, they hope to extend the season by one to two months.
“We are applying for support for the snow cannons to ensure the operation, but also to be able to preserve the glacier. Without a snow cap, it will melt much faster,” Iversen says.
Researcher Jostein Bakke at the Bjerknes Center in Bergen says the ice around the summer ski center will be gone in 20 years. Snow cannons cannot prevent the glacier from melting, but will still be positive, he believes.
The more snow on the glacier, the better. The glacier will not move forward, but it will be easier to keep skiing longer.
© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today
