The H2020 project PROSNOW ambitions to build a demonstrator of a meteorological and climate prediction system from one week to several months ahead applied to snow management, specifically tailored to the needs of the ski industry using a co-design approach. This novel climate service holds significant potential to increase the resilience of socio-economic mountain stakeholders and supports their real-time climate change adaptation potential. PROSNOW applies state-of-the-art knowledge relevant to the predictability of atmospheric and snow conditions, then develop products well beyond state-of-the-art operational tools. Improved anticipation capabilities at all time scales, spanning from “weather forecast” (up to 5 days typically) to “climate prediction” at the seasonal scale (up to several months), are achieved through a seamless integration of weather and seasonal prediction products, together with snowpack models, in-situ and remotely-sensed observations and cutting-edge statistical tools in support of the decision making process. The project proposes an Alpine-wide system (France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria and Italy). It associates research institutions for weather forecasts, climate predictions at the seasonal scale and snowpack modeling, a group of providers proposing high tech solutions for snow monitoring and management, and a relevant ensemble of eight representative resorts in the Alps. The added value of such services for ski resorts have been investigated and documented, making it possible to initiate a commercial exploitation of the service at the end of the project.

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 730203.