Unusually hot weather and rain that does not turn into snow put the opening of the ski season at risk. These conditions make it impossible to turn on planned snow cannons because at least -3 or -5 degrees below zero is needed in addition to no wind and the right percentage of humidity. For the time being in the Alps at night, temperatures remain far from freezing. Even in Livigno, the little Tibet of Italy, the mountains are snowless while the thermal zero is at an altitude of 3,700 meters. This is a far cry from the weather in 2023 when an initial heavy snowfall in late October allowed the slopes to open early in mid-November. To find plenty of snow, one has to go all the way up to the 3,466-meter peak of Punta Helbronner on Mont Blanc from November 29 when the Mont Blanc Skyway reopens. However, the use of cannons represents a significant cost because of the need for electricity. One should not forget that electricity in Italy costs much more than its European competitors. With artificial snow alone there is also a psychological problem for enthusiasts. Being on a white route in a barren, autumnal landscape. A scenario that no one likes.