Southern Hemisphere Weekly Roundup #240

Afriski's Comeback: Lesotho Resort Preps for Reopening with Snowmaking Operations Underway

• Pre-season conditions in South America are excellent, with significant snowfall down to valley floors, setting the stage for a promising start to the 2024 ski season.
• New Zealand experiences multiple snowfalls, while Mt Buller in Australia gears up with additional snowmaking units, enhancing preparations for the upcoming season.
• Cold temperatures in Lesotho enable snowmaking operations at Afriski, signaling its definite reopening and recruitment of ski and snowboarding instructors.

SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE REPORT

It's continuing to look great for most southern hemisphere ski regions ahead of the 2024 season starting next month, we just need it to stay cold and keep snowing through May! South America has seen some of the best pre-season conditions for several weeks now with cold temperatures and good snowfalls right down to valley floor levels. Las Lenas and Bariloche resorts have been posting pictures of not just upper slopes, but resort base streets buried deep in the white stuff. In fact, travel experts to the region, Powderquest, have reported there being about 4 feet (1.2m) of snow lying at the base of the Catedral ski area, and 8 feet (2.4m) at the top already. All the snowfall has led to speculation that a resort somewhere in Argentina or possibly southern Chile could open early, but at the time of writing nowhere has said they will. It’s also been a good week for New Zealand, with more snowfall here on the country’s mountains, for some the third or fourth falls of the autumn. In Australia Mt Buller has taken delivery of its fifth SnowFactory all-weather snowmaking unit from TechnoAlpin putting it in a strong position for the season start there next month. Its webcams have already shown the units pumping out snow. In Africa, the temperatures are starting to get cold enough overnight to make snow viable in Lesotho. Afriski has signalled its definite reopening after keeping its main slopes closed last year with the news that it is advertising to hire ski and snowboarding instructors.

SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE FORECAST

Mostly sunny skies with some light clouds in New Zealand, temperatures in the -10 to +10C range. Temperatures are a little warmer (lows -5C highs, +14C) at Australian ski areas but the forecast looking more unsettled later this week here, with rain and sleet moving in towards the weekend. Remaining much colder in South America where temperatures will continue in the -15 to +5C range. The snowfall of recent weeks which has been heaviest in the south and east (Argentina) should ease over the next few days though to give clearer skies into the weekend.