Australian ski resorts welcome biggest winter storm of the season

Overnight storms which have seen more than 25 cms of snow dumped across the alpine regions o NSW and Victoria have been welcomed by Australia’s winter sport resorts.

The biggest winter storm of the season started overnight and, as it continues, has forecasters tipping falls of as much as 50cms over the weekend.

The storm, along with sub-zero conditions, has delivered a blanket of snow at resorts and perfect conditions for skiers and snowboarders.

David Clark, Destination Marketing Manager for Mt Buller and Mt Stirling ski lifts, said the snow “just keeps coming”, noting “it started snowing on Friday night and hasn’t stopped.”

Explaining how the snow falls will boost the season, Clark stated “it was a slow start in June but it’s such a relief to have these big snowfalls and proper cold fronts coming through, setting us up for rest of the season.

“We’re guaranteed to have snow now to October.”

Mt Buller resort spokesperson, Rhylla Morgan commented “this is exactly what we need.

“Earlier in the week we received 22cms and this solid dump is going to transform the experience in resort. The depths are creeping around the 80cms mark and the flakes are falling beautifully.”

“Skiers and snowboarders have been patiently waiting for significant snowfall for deeper cover and for our mountain operations team to progressively open more terrain – and it feels like this it’s finally arrived. The hooting and hollering around the slopes is great to hear and local operators are thrilled to have phones ringing and emails coming in as people jump on the opportunity for a winter escape.”

As a result of the storm, Mt Buller will update intended operations and expects to open some additional runs in the coming days.

Mount Hotham received 31cm of rainfall in the 24 hours to Saturday morning, with the resort at full capacity and closed to day visitors. Further north, Falls Creek received 45cm of snowfall in 24 hours, including 33cm of fresh snow on Friday evening while, in NSW, Perisher welcomed 25cm of snow overnight, with a further 80cm forecast today, with freezing temperatures recorded as low as 800m, according to Weatherzone.

A spokesperson from Vail Resorts said the quickly moving cold front was expected to bring the “most significant snowfall of the year”.

Falls Creek Alpine Resort Head of Marketing and Visitor Experience, Sarah Watt, said car parking capacity had been increased this season but when a big storm hit, they filled quickly. She urged guests to pre-book before leaving home to avoid disappointment.

At Thredbo the resort has been blanketed with 27cm of snow overnight, taking its seven-day snowfall count to 43cm.

In a statement the resort advised that “tThis significant snowfall is getting skiers and snowboarders excited to shred fresh powder this weekend. The snow conditions are also expected to entice many visitors to plan a last-minute snow trip in the coming weeks.”

Forecasters Mountain Watch anticipated 82cm of snow over the next seven days, while Snowatch predicted 78cm for the next fortnight.

Images: Snowfalls at Mt Buller have seen significant on ground snow at Mt Buller this morning (top and below) and a snowboarder makes the most of conditions at Thredbo (middle).