Sochi Chief Says No Need to Use Stored Snow… Yet

SOCHI, Russia (AP) — The head of the Sochi Olympics says there’s no need to bring in stored snow to cope with the warm temperatures in the mountains — but organizers are ready to do so if necessary.

Dmitry Chernyshenko tells The Associated Press that snow from previous winters remains in storage near the mountain venues. Organizers have stored 700,000 cubic meters (25,000 cubic feet) of snow.

Chernyshenko says that stored snow can be used if needed. But for now, as he put it, “We don’t need it.”

Temperatures in the sub-tropical resort on the Black Sea coast have been rising, raising concerns about snow conditions. On Tuesday, temperatures reached 11 C (52 F) along the coast and 5 C (41 F) in the Alpine cluster above the city.