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Cara Ocobock, Assistant Professor of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame

Winter Olympians often compete in freezing temperatures – physiology and advances in materials science help keep them warm

The 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics promise relatively mild – but still chilly – temperatures compared to past games. Alex Pantling/Getty Images

The Winter Olympics and Paralympics are upon us once again. This year the games come to Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, where weather forecasts are predicting temperatures in the upper 30s to mid-40s Fahrenheit (1 to 10 degrees Celsius).

These temperatures are a good deal warmer than one might expect for winter, particularly in a mountainous area. They’re warm enough that athletes will need to adjust how they are preparing their equipment for competition, yet still cold enough to affect the physiology of athletes and spectators alike.

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