Why Winter Olympics Bypass the Southern Hemisphere

By Laura Poppick, Staff Writer
2/7/2014 12:20:09 PM

Of the 22 Winter Olympics that have been held since 1924, none have been hosted in the Southern Hemisphere. Nearly the same is true of the Summer Olympics - only two games have been held down south, both in Australia (1956 and 2000), though the 2016 games are scheduled for Brazil, in Rio de Janeiro.



The Northern Hemisphere has considerably more landmass, and more people, than the Southern Hemisphere does. Credit: NASA Earth Observatory/NOAA NGDC



The Northern Hemisphere has greater snow accumulation rates than the Southern Hemisphere because more landmasses in the Northern Hemisphere are located at high latitudes, and therefore receive less direct sunlight in the winter and become colder - and more snow-prone - than landmasses in the Southern Hemisphere. Land in the Southern Hemisphere is concentrated closer to the equator, where more direct sunlight increases heat and lowers the chances of snow accumulation.

Still, other Southern Hemisphere locations get a fair amount of snow, including parts of southern Australia and New Zealand. But Australian snowfall is not consistent enough for the games, and New Zealand is a small country that is relatively isolated and difficult to get to - though it could feasibly be a good candidate in the future, Seager said.


"Northern Hemisphere winters do tend to be cold and snowy since the large landmasses - away from the moderating influences of the ocean - tend to get very cold," Seager said. Snowfall requires both cold air and moisture, Seager pointed out. "The large ocean areas in the Southern Hemisphere prevent winter from getting too cold, except in Antarctica. Hence, the snow falls in high and cold places - the Andes and the New Zealand Alps - where there is also abundant moisture supply from the ocean."




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