Southern Hemisphere Weekly Roundup #244

Southern Hemisphere Ski Destinations Open Amidst Early Snowfall and Favourable Conditions

• Southern Africa and New Zealand have kicked off their ski seasons, while Chile continues to dominate with early openings and substantial pre-season snowfall.
• Australia anticipates its 2024 ski season starting this weekend, with some resorts reporting light snowfall and favourable conditions for snowmaking.
• Argentina is gearing up for an early start to its ski season, following Chile's lead, amidst mixed weather conditions ranging from rain to snow.

WORLD OVERVIEW

It’s June, which means the start of winter, by the meteorological measure of the seasons, in the southern hemisphere, and of summer, in the northern. This is also the month when most ski areas in the southern hemisphere start their ski seasons, and 2024 is proving a particularly promising one in South America where, thanks to big May snowfalls and low temperatures, most of the bigger centres have already opened, three weeks early, for their seasons. Winter also officially began in Southern Africa at the weekend and the first small bit of lift-accessed skiing was made available in New Zealand. Australia’s 20924 season meanwhile, is due to kick off this coming Saturday. In the northern hemisphere, there's been a continuing drop in the number of centres open in North America, down to only two still going now. Europe is holding firm with seven glacier resorts still operating in five countries and a ninth due to join them this week. The weather has continued to be good for spring/summer skiers and riders, with one area in the Austrian Alps even issuing a powder alarm for 20cm/8” of snowfall on its glacier in 24 hours on the last day of spring. There was also snowfall reported on high slopes in Scandinavia as well, including open glaciers, on Tuesday-Wednesday this week, and even the Scottish Highlands saw rare June snowfall. In Asia, the one summer ski area still open, in Japan, is still going into June so we’re still, just, in double figures for the number of ski areas open in June and summertime across the northern hemisphere.

SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE INTRO

The 2024 season got underway in southern Africa at the weekend and the first lift-served turns were made in New Zealand as well. However, Chile continues to be the big news story of 2024 so far, in terms of big pre-season snowfalls and early openings, with most of the country’s ski areas opening last weekend – some remaining open midweek too, still three weeks from the start of the ‘main’ season. Big hitters Portillo and Valle Nevado were amongst the areas opening early. Argentina has seen similar big snowfalls but nowhere is open there yet, however, the country's biggest area says it will start its season a fortnight early, from this coming weekend. That's also when Australia's season is due to kick off, with low temperatures for snowmaking and a little natural snowfall there making the hopes that there'll be snow to ski or ride from Saturday look increasingly promising.

AUSTRALIA REPORT

Australia’s 2024 season is due to kick off this coming weekend with most resorts planning to open from Saturday. After a mostly dry, rather warm autumn, there have been some positive signs over the past few days with light snowfalls and cold enough temperatures for snowmaking systems to fire up. We won’t know until the weekend quite how much terrain will be available from day one, but it looks like there’ll be some at most areas least. Mt Buller may have some of the best early coverage thanks to its five, all-weather snowmaking machines which have been able to make snow 24-7 ahead of the season start. Snowfall has been reported on the slopes of Tasmania as well as on the mountains of New South Wales and Victoria. However Selwyn resorts has already announced that it will be opening without enough snow for skiing or even sledging this Saturday. But Mt Baw Baw have said they’ll have some beginner slopes open thanks to their Snow Factory all-weather snowmaking machine.

AUSTRALIA FORECAST

Back to rather dry conditions, probably sunny, for the rest of this week and into opening weekend. Temperatures down below freezing overnight should allow more snowmaking but daytime highs will be up towards double figures above freezing unfortunately.

NEW ZEALAND REPORT

The 2024 New Zealand ski season is underway… sort of. Whakapapa on the North Island opened a small part of its Happy Valley learning and snow fun (sledging) area on Saturday, June 1st, announcing there would be a small amount of free-to-use terrain for those arriving with their own gear. The problem was that by Sunday the centre was reporting even that small area closed due to warmer temperatures and rain. We’re just over a week away from the main season start though at several areas, with Coronet Peak and Mt Hutt due to opening a week on Friday, then Cardrona and The Remarkables the next day. As with Aussie areas, we'll have to wait to see just how much will be available on opening day but despite fluctuating pre-season temperatures there appear to be good signs of bases buildings.

NEW ZEALAND FORECAST

Nothing terribly exciting in the forecast, with mostly dry conditions forecast and showers looking likely to be rain or sleet rather than snow at most levels. Daytime highs around +7C, overnight lows a few degrees below freezing.

ARGENTINA REPORT

Whilst almost every ski area in Chile was open at the weekend with several remaining open through the week too, thanks to the mammoth snowfalls recorded across South American mountain ranges in May, Argentinian ski areas have not yet followed suit. The continent’s largest ski area by uplift, Cerro Catedral near Bariloche, did open a few runs in mid-May, the first in the southern hemisphere to open for 2024, to celebrate nearly 3m (10 feet) of pre-season snowfall, but since then it's been pretty quiet. That is due to change though with Catedral announcing it will open for its main season two weeks early this coming weekend. We're yet to see if other Argentinian areas will follow suit. As to the weather this week, it's been a mixed bag. No fresh big snowfalls to report although there have been some lighter accumulations. Temperatures have varied between -9 and +10C, cooler in the south.

ARGENTINA FORECAST

It’s looking increasingly wintery for the latter half of this week with fronts bringing rain, sleet and snow to Argentinian mountains. Temperatures look set to be in the -10 to -7C range.

CHILE REPORT

It was a big weekend in Chile as almost all of the country's ski areas were open – all at least three weeks earlier than their planned main season opening date around June 20/21. The move came after snow upon snow through May culminated with huge 1m (40") plus accumulations which left some centres with more snow lying now than they had for peak depth throughout last season. So, the hope is these conditions continue. Of the centres opening early, some, like Valle Nevado, (70/90cm / 28/36”) opened for the weekend and are yet to decide whether they will again before the 20th. Others, like Portillo (60/138cm / 24/55”), say they’ll open every weekend between now and then and still others like La Parva (70/95cm / 28/38”) are permanently opened daily, early, for their 2024 seasons. El Colorado (60/95cm / 24/38”) has had the most terrain open – about 40km (25 miles) representing around 80% of its terrain and about the most open at any area anywhere in the world this week. Portillo has the deepest snowpack so far. As to the weather through the first half of this week, it's been mostly dry so no more big snowfalls for now. Instead, there have been sunny skies and temperatures in the -8 to +8C range.

CHILE FORECAST

Predominantly overcast skies with increasing rain/sleet/snow into the weekend, temperatures ranging from -7 to +7C.

SOUTHERN AFRICA REPORT

Lesotho’s Afriski began its winter season on Saturday, June 1st, its first for two years in terms of offering snowsports and skiing beyond a small patch of snow at its base. So far daytime temperatures have been stubbornly high and although the resort is posting on its social media that winter has begun with pictures of skiers and riders on the snow, webcam images show no complete slope yet, but piles of snow made when temperatures have dropped below freezing overnight, however, not yet joined together. It has turned cooler over the past few days though so it’s starting to look more promising.

SOUTHERN AFRICA FORECAST

Things are getting much cooler now with daytime highs down to single figures and overnight lows getting to -5C or below, enabling snowmaking to crank up to full production if it is deemed worthwhile.