Ski resorts in southern Sweden have been hit hard financially by the mild winter. Isaberg in Småland has still not been open a single day.

–Unfortunately, it doesn't look that fun, but we're still hoping for cold weather, says Louise Söderlund, CEO of Isaberg.

The unusually mild winter is hitting alpine ski resorts in southern Sweden hard. The season has been non-existent in most places. Isaberg, with its 12 slopes and eight lifts, is the largest resort in southern Sweden. With only days left until the sports holidays, the slopes have still not opened. And if the cold doesn't come, the entire season could be in danger, which would be a huge financial blow: 30 million in lost revenue for a business that has a turnover of 70 million per year.

–Economically, it's really sad. It's a loss, we have to allocate our resources in a completely different way, says Louise Söderlund.

All ski bookings in Isaberg for January were cancelled. And none of the nearly one hundred seasonal workers who were trained have been offered jobs. Instead of skiing, the slope is opening its high-altitude course and mini-golf, which normally opens in April.

It has been tough for all ski resorts in southern Sweden and few have been able to open this season. Flottsbrobacken in Huddinge south of Stockholm can have 80,000 visitors in a good season. If the season is cancelled altogether – it will be the second time in 30 years that this has happened.

–Right now we're not making any money – we'll have to take the impact after the season, says facilities manager Andreas Häggqvist.

But not all facilities are completely dependent on the weather. Tolvmannabacken in Kisa in Östergötland, which is part of the Branäs Group, managed to open already during the Christmas holidays, thanks to saved snow from last year, which was stored in the right-hand side under wood chips and bark.

“We had saved just over 50 thousand cubic meters of snow,” says Anders Kjällström, CEO of Branäsgruppen.

Source: sverigesradio.se