Southern Hemisphere Weekly Roundup #241

South America's ski season kicks off earlier than expected with significant snowfall in Argentina and Chile, leading to surprise openings and plans for continuous operation.

• South America's ski season kicks off earlier than expected with significant snowfall in Argentina and Chile, leading to surprise openings and plans for continuous operation.
• New Zealand anticipates a promising start to the season with increasing pre-season snowfall, while Australia awaits the commencement of the ski season with gradually improving temperatures.
• Southern Africa prepares for the upcoming ski season, with Lesotho's Afriski set to open first after skipping last season, while Tiffindell ski area in South Africa remains inactive.

OVERVIEW

An exciting week in South America with the southern hemisphere’s 2024 season kicking off three weeks earlier than expected following weeks of cold, snowy weather in the Andes. Catedral ski area near Bariloche in Argentina, which has been posting the biggest accumulations, opened limited terrain at the end of last week. In addition, now several ski areas over the border in Chile say they plan to open next weekend with one saying it will then remain open right through the planned 24 season as well as the three or four weeks before it had been expected to begin. Elsewhere there's been more pre-season snowfalls in New Zealand but Australia has remained mostly dry.

AUSTRALIA REPORT

There's not much to report from Australian ski centres with the season start now just over three weeks away. Things are gradually moving in the right direction temperature-wise but temperatures are still reaching double figures in the daytime, close to freezing overnight. Not much precipitation of any kind to report.

AUSTRALIA FORECAST

Mostly sunny skies continuing with temperatures in the -1C overnight to as high as +12C in the afternoons.

NEW ZEALAND REPORT

There’s been further pre-season snowfall in New Zealand where the season start is now just four weeks away. Coronet Peak and Mt Hutt are currently set to be first to open on June 14th, but of course, heavy pre-season snowfall could lead to earlier openings in some areas. Not yet heavy enough but Cardrona was among the resorts posting fresh snowfall this week. Laura Hedley, GM Cardrona, says the snow flurries have come as a welcome surprise while the mountain crews gear up for the 2024 season. "The cool temps and arrival of snow have us all holding out for an opening day on June 15. We can't wait to welcome guests up again and share the excitement we're all feeling for the first snowfall," she said.

NEW ZEALAND FORECAST

A promising, cold and increasingly snowy picture for the coming week with the freezing point moving down from 1500 to 500m altitude at times overnight and increasingly heavy snowfall forecast into the weekend. Daytime high 1-6C, overnight lows zero to -8C on high slopes.

ARGENTINA REPORT

Argentina has seen the most reported pre-season snowfall of any southern hemisphere ski nation with Catedral (40/80cm / 16/32”) ski area, South America's largest in terms of lift uplift, reporting an estimated 4 feet (1.2m) of snowfall down to base level and double that up high in the first week of May. It made a surprise early opening, kicking off the southern hemisphere’s 2024 ski season last Friday. It’s currently unclear if it plans to remain open from now on or close again ahead of the usual season start next month, initially just a small fraction of its terrain was open with a few lifts and three easy runs, delighting locals.

ARGENTINA FORECAST

After all the snowfall of recent weeks, it's looking much drier for most of South America this coming week, with plenty of sunshine and just a weak front forecast to move through in the latter half of the week. Staying fairly cold though, mostly in the -10 to +5C range, so there shouldn’t be too much thawing of the early snow. The exception to the weather is down south towards Tierra del Fuego, where daytime highs will be closer to freezing and more sleet and snow showers are forecast.

CHILE REPORT

Chile’s season is expected to start early, this coming weekend. Corralco says they'll open from next Saturday, May 18th and that they plan to stay open from then continuously until the end of the season, operating until the main season starts next month. They plan to open their Cornisa, Volcano, and Cross all week with the Christmas and Summit runs also opening on Fridays to Sundays. Baser restaurants, rentals and school will all be fully operational from next weekend. In addition, Chile's most southerly major ski area Nevados de Chillán says it plans to open limited terrain for four days from next weekend in what it’s calling ‘N Snow Days of Chillan' from next Saturday 18th to Tuesday 21st May. The resort’s Tata, Novicios, Magic Carpet and Refugio lifts will run with the Novice, Snowy Forest, Zorrito and 3 Marias Forest trails open and limited lift tickets available to purchase online.

CHILE FORECAST

Sunny but continuing cold weather is expected for most ski areas in Chile after a weak front brings a few centimetres of midweek snowfall. Higher slopes should remain well below freezing even in afternoons, at bases the range will be -10 to +5 things may get warmer towards the weekend.

SOUTHERN AFRICA REPORT

Unless early heavy snowfall causes a centre in South America, Australia or New Zealand to open in late May (as has happened some years previously) Lesotho’s Afriski remains positioned as the resort likely to kick off the southern hemisphere’s 2024 ski season, having named June 1st as opening day, it’s first full opening in 21 months, having largely skipped last season in terms of its main slope. South Africa’s Tiffindell ski area is not thought to have operated since winter 2019 and is currently listed as for sale on its website. As to the weather, it's not yet looking cold enough for snowmaking, and the only pre-season snowfall there’s been was now a month ago in mid-April.

SOUTHERN AFRICA FORECAST

With just a fortnight to go to the start of the 2024 season now Afriski will be looking for snowmaking windows in the nights ahead. So far it is looking marginal with overnight lows around freezing and thawing temperatures reaching +10C in the afternoons with not much change in the forecast for now.