Olympic fans in Cortina arrived for what they expected to be a reliably wintry spectacle, with coats and gloves at the ready. On Sunday, however, those winter layers came off as snow melted from rooftops and the air warmed, underscoring how quickly weather expectations are shifting for the 2026 Winter Games.
Jay Tucker, traveling from Virginia to cheer on Team USA, said he came prepared for cold conditions and ended up with a different reality. “I definitely thought we’d be wearing all the layers,” Tucker said. “I don’t even have gloves on.” His experience reflected what many visitors saw across Cortina d’Ampezzo, where the Games’ opening day had a “wintry feel” despite later warmth.
Cortina hit about 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4.5 degrees Celsius) Sunday afternoon, and it felt hotter in the sun, according to the Associated Press reporting. Climate Central meteorologist Shel Winkley said the timing of winter, the amount of snowfall and temperatures are becoming less reliable and less predictable because Earth is warming at a record rate.
Winkley said this type of February warmth in Cortina is made at least three times more likely due to climate change. He added that, in the 70 years since Cortina first hosted the Winter Games, February temperatures there have climbed 6.4 degrees Fahrenheit (3.6 degrees Celsius).
The warming pressures are also feeding into planning discussions at the top of the Olympic system. The Associated Press reported that the International Olympic Committee said last week it could move up the start date for future Winter Games to January from February because of rising temperatures.
For the Milan Cortina Games specifically, organizers face another complication: the venues are spread out farther than in past Winter Olympics, placing different competitions in areas with different climates. The AP reported that Bormio and Livigno, while less than an hour apart by car, can be separated by a mountain pass that divides their weather conditions.
To manage those variations, the organizing committee is working with four regional and provincial public weather agencies. It has positioned weather sensors at strategic points near ski jumping ramps, along Alpine skiing tracks and at the biathlon shooting range. Where automatic stations cannot capture everything needed, Matteo Pasotti, a weather specialist for the organizing committee, said the agencies provide observers described as “scientists of the snow,” who collect additional data.
The goal for race days, Pasotti said, is clear skies, light winds and low temperatures to support visibility and preserve the snow layer. But the AP reported that conditions were “actually pretty warm” and that forecasts indicate more days with above-average temperatures lie ahead for the Olympic competitions.
Weather can affect competition schedules and safety in multiple ways, according to Filippo Bazzanella, head of sport services and planning for the organizing committee. He said high temperatures can impact snow on Alpine skiing courses and reduce the visibility needed for safe competition, while humidity and high temperatures can affect the quality of ice at indoor arenas and sliding centers.
Bazzanella added that visibility and wind are the two factors most likely to drive changes to the schedule. For events such as biathlon, he said wind can pose safety or fairness issues because even slight variations can disrupt athletes’ precise shooting.
American spectators also described arriving for colder conditions than they experienced. Karli Poliziani, an American who lives in Milan, told the AP she was in Cortina with her father, who considered going out on Sunday in just a sweatshirt because of the mildness.
Athletes have also been adjusting to the same trend. Jackie Wiles, an American alpine skier, said she expects competitors to maintain focus even when conditions complicate performance. At a team press conference reported by the AP, she said, “I feel like we’re pretty good about keeping our heads in the game because a lot of people are going to get taken out by that immediately,” and added, “Having that mindset of: it’s going to be what it’s going to be, and we still have to go out there and fight like hell regardless.”