As most ski areas in North America close their doors on the 2016/2017 season (*except for Arapahoe Basin, Mammoth, and Squaw), Australia is just getting up and running with Perisher set to kick off the season this Saturday.
Related: Opening Dates For Southern Hemisphere Ski Areas [2017]
The adjusted opening, which is a week earlier than originally scheduled, is thanks to almost 10″ of new snow that fell on the mountain Sunday night reports The Sydney Morning Herald. In addition to the natural snow, Perisher began firing up the snowguns in early May, an effort that’s helped assist in the early opening.
Thredbo, Falls Creek, and Mt Buller are all expected to open within the next month.
Official Announcement
Australia’s favorite and largest ski resort, Perisher announced today that it will be the first ski resort in Australia to open for skiing and boarding for the 2017 snow season on Saturday 3 June, one full week ahead of the traditional opening weekend.
With 20cm of snow falling overnight, fantastic snowmaking conditions and more snow predicted over the coming days, Perisher will welcome guests to experience their first tracks of the 2017 winter on Front Valley this Saturday. The Village 8 Express Chairlift and Ski Carpet No.3 will be open to provide a good range of beginner and intermediate terrain for skiers and boarders. A Terrain Park will be ready with a range of rails, boxes and small jumps to bring in the start of the season.
Guests looking for tobogganing are in for a treat with a separate toboggan area to be set up to cater for the kids and families on their first trip to the snow.
Perisher’s Chief Operating Officer, Peter Brulisauer says, “We are pleased to again be the first resort in Australia to open and cannot wait to welcome our guests for another great season. The last year we opened one week early was in 2012, which turned out to be a magnificent snow season.”
Perisher guests can stay updated on the snowfall, weather and road conditions on Perisher’s website and mobile app, which offer live updates on current lift and terrain status along with snow, weather and road conditions.
Fin out more here: Perisher Opening Weekend