Weather News

Heavy snow at some resorts, clear skies at others

Anthony Sharwood, Friday June 21, 2024 - 16:11 AEST

Much-needed snow is falling across parts of Australia’s alpine region this Friday afternoon, and especially in the NSW ski resorts, as a trough associated with a low pressure system crosses the region.

What our snow sports industry needs right now is a heavy snowfall right across the Australian high country in time for the Victorian public school holidays (which commence at the end of the next week) and the NSW public school holidays (which start a week later).

Today's snowfall will not be not the answer to everyone's prayers but it's better than nothing, and it's great to see some big fat snowflakes falling at Australia's largest ski resort Perisher, and Australia’s highest ski resort Thredbo.

Image: View from the snow cam on Thredbo's High Noon run at around 4 pm Friday. The run opens for skiing on Saturday. Souirce: Thredbo.

As the band of moisture surges northwards, snow has also started to fall at Selwyn Snow Resort, Australia's northernmost ski hill which reopened in 2023 after the devastating Black Summer bushfires, and which opens its 2024 season on limited cover for beginners and tobogganers only this Saturday, June 22.

As you can see on the two-hour radar loop below to 3 pm Friday, a blob of moisture has been tracking up from Gippsland across the NSW border to Thredbo and nearby NSW alpine regions.

Anywhere slightly further east has missed out on most of the moisture this afternoon and unfortunately that means all of the Victorian ski resorts, where the natural snow cover remains extremely limited.

A little snow fell earlier today at Mt Baw Baw, Mt Buller, Falls Creek and Mt Hotham, but it was only a centimetre or two at most – so definitely not enough to open runs beyond the snowmaking areas.

Looking ahead to next week, there’s the strong likelihood of a midweek system that could deliver good snowfalls. We'll tell you more about that one in the new week.

For now – and throughout the winter – your best bet is the Weatherzone snow page for the latest forecasts, cams, and other info. You can also check which lifts are open by clicking on any of the ski resorts mentioned in this story.

- Weatherzone

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