Southern Hemisphere Weekly Roundup #260

Ski Season Winds Down in the Southern Hemisphere as Northern Resorts Prepare for Early Snow

• The Southern Hemisphere's ski season is nearing its end, with most resorts in Australia and South America closing due to warmer temperatures.
• Australia's last resort, Perisher, closed earlier than expected, while some South American resorts extended their seasons thanks to substantial early snowfalls.
• In the Northern Hemisphere, early snowfall in the Alps has led to an earlier-than-expected start for many resorts, with more openings planned in the coming weeks.

World Overview

It’s now full autumn (fall) in the Northern Hemisphere and full springtime in the Southern Hemisphere, with the start of astronomical autumn/fall/springtime in the Northern Hemisphere transitioning from summer/winter on the calendar to align with the meteorological season change at the start of the month. In the Southern Hemisphere, this signals the acceleration of the September thaw, with most resorts now seeing afternoon temperatures in double digits and a rapid decrease in snowpack, and in some cases, open terrain. The first resorts have begun closing for the season in the Andes, and in Australia, the season was set to end this coming weekend, with the last resorts scheduled to close then. However, that closure was brought forward to today, 25th September.

Most centres remain open in New Zealand, which has seen a resurgence of warmer weather, and at least one South American resort has announced an extended season by a fortnight into next month. In the Northern Hemisphere, the change of season and the unusually heavy snowfall for early September in the Alps a few weeks ago has led to the number of open centres more than doubling, mostly due to Austrian glacier ski centres opening for their 24-25 seasons, some weeks earlier than planned. More will join them this weekend, and new openings are expected every weekend through the rest of the year. There’s been additional snowfall reported on high slopes from Scotland and Scandinavia down to Italy. There's still nowhere open yet in North America, nor has snowmaking begun, but widespread snowfall on western mountain ranges over the weekend has raised anticipation levels for the upcoming season.

Southern Hemisphere

Southern Hemisphere Overview

The 2024 ski season is winding down for most areas in the Southern Hemisphere, with warm afternoon temperatures, a fast-thawing snowpack, and few fresh snowfalls to report. Australia’s 2024 ski season is entering its final days, with Perisher reporting just a few kilometers of slopes still open. The resort had hoped to remain open until Sunday through rain, warmth, and wind but abruptly announced it would close on Wednesday instead. In Argentina, Chile, and New Zealand, the changes are less dramatic so far, but smaller centres have closed, as well as the well-known Portillo resort. Most of the rest will follow either this coming Sunday or on the first Sunday of October. However, some plan to continue until mid-October, particularly in South America, where they are still benefiting from the huge snowfalls at the start of the season in May and June.

Australia Report

Australia’s 2024 season is likely over, with the country’s largest resort, Perisher (15/35cm / 6/14”), closing on Wednesday, a few days earlier than hoped. There was little snow left, and operations were reduced to novice terrain in Front Valley, representing less than 5% of the resort's terrain. Rain and wind were forecast, and although the resort had planned to close on Sunday, 29th September, it had warned of the possibility of an earlier closure due to unfavorable conditions. This has now come to pass. However, not all the news has been gloomy, as Tasmania reported fresh snowfall and some of the best conditions of the season, allowing Mt Mawson to open its drag lift for weekend snow fun.

Australia Forecast

Wet and windy weather is expected midweek, with a chance of snowfall on Thursday and temperatures ranging from -7°C to +3°C. Warmer, possibly season-ending temperatures with highs of +10°C are forecast for the weekend.

New Zealand Report

New Zealand has experienced its usual mix of snow, rain, and wind as most centres there battle to stay open for another week or two. Some are proactively closing midweek to maintain their snowpacks for the coming weekends. Temperatures have fluctuated by 10 degrees on either side of zero Celsius, creating classic freeze-thaw conditions. Mt Hutt (83/202cm / 33/81") continues to have the country's deepest snowpack, although it has dropped slightly this week and still has about 95% of its slopes open. Cardrona (70/136cm / 28/54") and Coronet Peak (65/160cm / 26/64") still have more than 90% of their slopes open for the final weeks of the season. On the North Island, it's been a challenging season for Mt Ruapehu, but it appears to be improving for the final month. Whakapapa (25/88cm / 10/35”) on Mt Ruapehu was able to open the Knoll Ridge T-Bar on Wednesday but warned of icy conditions in the morning. It has the most open terrain it has had all season, although still little more than 10%.

New Zealand Forecast 

Sunshine and showers (either rain or snow) are forecast for the week ahead, with Thursday expected to bring the heaviest precipitation of the week, possibly resulting in a healthy early spring snow dump. Temperatures will fluctuate, with overnight lows down to -10°C in some areas, but daytime highs will reach into the teens above freezing at lower elevations.

Argentina Report

Argentina's 2024 season is winding down with a mostly dry, often sunny week in most areas. Temperatures have reached +15°C in the afternoons, although higher slopes are still seeing below-freezing nighttime lows. Catedral (50/180cm / 20/72"), the largest ski area in the country and the Southern Hemisphere, has transitioned to a low-season operating model, with about 80% of its slopes closed and only 20km of runs open. However, Chapelco (65/360cm / 26/144”) has defied the trend, increasing its upper slope base depth and continuing to hold the deepest snowpack in the world. Most of Argentina’s ski areas are expected to end their 2024 ski seasons either this Sunday or the following week.

Argentina Forecast

It will remain dry and warm in most areas over the next few days, with temperatures continuing to climb to the mid-teens in the afternoons. The longer-term forecast predicts a temperature drop and a front bringing precipitation, including the possibility of fresh snowfall early next week, but certainty is still unclear.

Chile Report

Snow depths have begun to drop, and ski centres have started to close in Chile as the season nears its end. However, it has been one of the best snowfall seasons on record. Valle Nevado (35/145cm / 18/58”) announced at the end of last week that they would stay open an extra fortnight into late October, possibly becoming the last resort open in the Southern Hemisphere. This extension is a celebration of the abundant snow, despite the resort's snow depth having halved over the past few weeks. Portillo closed for the season over the weekend, while Pillán – Villarrica and Lagunillas are also closed. Nevados de Chillan (150/200cm / 60/80”) has seen a 30% drop in snow depth and has reduced its open terrain to about a third of its total area. Most other Chilean centres still open are expected to close this weekend or the next. Warm daytime temperatures, reaching up to +15°C on lower slopes, have contributed to the rapid thaw, although overnight lows still dip below freezing, creating freeze-thaw conditions.

Chile Forecast

It should remain mostly dry across the Chilean mountains in the week ahead, with a mixture of sunshine and light cloud cover. Daytime highs on lower slopes will reach up to +15°C, while overnight lows on the highest runs will approach -10°C.