Austria To Wrap Snow With Foil to Prevent Melting

The Taipei Times reports that Austrian ski resorts plan to wrap their snow with plastic foil to decrease melting.

In 2004 Stubai Glacier Mountain Railways in Tyrol wrapped 2,000 square meters of glacier snow and was able to save 2m deep of snow. The foil reflects radiation. The points chosen for the foil were at lift supports. The Tyrolean glacier resorts of Oetztal and Pitztal plan to do it this year. It costs US$83,600) to cover 3,000 square meters. Officials note that in 2003 the Pasterze glacier on the Austrian highpoint Grossglockner decreased 30 meters in length and 6.5m in thickness