Lack of snow has left small ski lift operators in Styria of central Austria worried over their future survival in winter, the national broadcaster ORF reported Thursday.

The ongoing winter has proven considerably mild and the resulting scarcity of snow has pushed the operators of Bruggraber Alpl lifts into the red, currently owing over 200,000 euros.

"If there is no snow for the whole of January, who is going to book a February holiday on the Alps?" operator Hans Bruggrager said.

Similar reports were coming from wider area, such as the Aflenzer Buergeralm, where lift operators said the Christmas season had been a total failure.

The Wimmer lifts, 30 minutes from the city of Graz, have for the entire current season so far only been in operation for two weeks.

Some lift operators in the Upper Styrian area have planned a project to join forces in the hopes that they will overcome difficult winter seasons in the future, with a kick-off event planned for March.

Despite the overall poor season, weather forecasts expect snow in many parts of the region in the next few days.