Australia is known more for its surfing and mountain biking than it is for its downhill skiing, but there are multiple resorts and areas around the country for those hoping to get on snow. However, even with between 15 and 20 ski resorts spread across the country, Australia’s ski season is pretty darn short. PeakRankings explored exactly why that is.
Australia’s ski resorts are closer to the equator than every major ski resort in the United States and Europe. Given their modest elevation, the fact that skiing exists here at all is something of a meteorological miracle. It’s worth noting that thanks to their higher elevations, the New South Wales resorts are generally more consistent than those in Victoria. Still, the same challenges apply across the board. All of Australia’s resorts rely heavily on snowmaking to get through bad seasons. In fact, some operations are quite impressive, able to produce massive piles of snow or even “farm” it in warmer weather. That said, there’s only so long an artificial base can hold up once it gets too hot. Resiliency has improved over the past few years with major snowmaking upgrades, but not every trail is covered. Which brings us to another point that those of you in the Northern Hemisphere may have already guessed: the Australian ski season is short. Most resorts aim to run lifts from the first week of June through the end of September, but consistent snow cover rarely lasts that long. June usually feels like a warmup—just a handful of trails open, with snowmaking doing most of the work. By July, the majority of trails are open, though the school holidays bring some of the heaviest crowds of the year. Early August is the sweet spot. Coverage is usually at its peak and you’ve got the best shot at skiing a fully open resort. By late August and into September, though, spring conditions start creeping in. You can still get some great corn turns, but terrain closures become more common every week. In practice, you’re really looking at about six weeks of reliably good skiing—much shorter than what you’d expect in the Rockies, the Alps, or even most seasons in South America and New Zealand. #peakrankings#werankpeaks#skiaustralia#skivacation#mountains#winter#skitrip#travel#landscape#snowboarding#wintertrip#skiusa#skiingisfun#powder
It isn’t that much of a surprise to learn that Australia’s ski resorts struggle simply because of the weather conditions in the country. Australia is not big into the whole “winter” thing, with the season generally staying pretty mild from June through August.
Many resorts in the country are fortunate to have strong snowmaking systems, beating out many you’d find in the United States or across the Northern Hemisphere. While these resorts tend to shoot for a late September closing date, they really are at the whim of the warm weather.
Nolan Deck is a writer for Unofficial Networks, covering skiing and outdoor adventure. After growing up and skiing in Maine, he moved to the Denver area for college where he continues to live and work...
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