Strong start to the snow season, as mountains reveal next ‘big thing’

Snow-hungry skiers and resort operators are toasting the best start to the season in years, despite fears warmer than average forecasts for the remainder of winter could spoil the party.

A burst of cold weather allayed fears of a delayed start to the 2025 ski season as operators welcomed a dumping of snow, with up to 80 centimetres expected to fall over the King’s Birthday long weekend.

Skiers and snowboarders at Front Valley at Perisher Resort.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

The Bureau of Meteorology’s Edward Townsend-Medlock said NSW’s alpine regions could expect very cold conditions over the weekend with a series of cold fronts expected to generate snowfalls peaking on Sunday before temperatures warm next week.

The state’s largest resorts have all benefited from the snowy onslaught. Thredbo and Perisher both opened their doors for the commencement of the season on Saturday.

Perisher Ski Resort general manager Nathan Butterworth said while “mother nature has brought the snow”, the resort has also undertaken a “mammoth run” of artificial snowmaking in preparation for the long weekend.

“We’re cautiously optimistic for a strong season ahead [and] the start of the season is exciting given the lower snow we experienced in 2024 and 2023,” he said.

Jindabyne Chamber of Commerce president Olivier Kapentanakos said, along with the snow, there was a sense of optimism after traders struggled through successive disappointing seasons.

“Cost of living is still having an impact and one thing we’re seeing is that, while people are still coming in big numbers, they’re conscious of their dollars and are bringing their own food and gear,” he said.

“Australia is the second most expensive country to ski in the world. The gear can cost $15,000 to $20,000, so people are looking at other ways of keeping costs down.”

The bumper beginning to the ski season follows forecasts from the bureau of higher-than-average temperatures this winter.

The bureau predicts a greater than 80 per cent chance of above-average maximum and minimum temperatures across most of Australia from June to August

Kapentanakos said many businesses were mindful of a trend towards shorter snow seasons, and were pivoting towards selling the region beyond skiing.

This weekend will also see the installation of “Australia’s next big thing” in Jindabyne: a massive chairlift artwork crowd-funded by the community aiming to entice crowds throughout the year.

Kapentanakos said it was part of a move to diversify the Snowy Mountains’s tourism offerings, hoping to rival Coffs Harbour’s Big Banana and Goulburn’s Big Merino.

The ‘Big chairlift’ at Jindabyne, created by artist Darragh Walsh (pictured here)Credit: Contributed

“We know the ski seasons are getting shorter – what used to be a four-month season is now 12 weeks – so a lot of ski stores are now selling more mountain bikes, canoes and camping gear,” he said.

“Even from a marketing perspective we’re conscious of the name ‘Snowy Mountains’ and going forward there could be a tongue-in-cheek way of selling us as ‘Summer Mountains’ to help drive tourism outside the ski season.”

Michaela Cullen, who travelled to Perisher from the Illawarra with her husband and two children for the weekend, said the family had been bowled over by the snowy conditions.

“There’s been a few slips and falls on the ice but the snow is everything we hoped for – there’s a buzz in the air,” she said.

“I’m originally from the Czech Republic and it’s brought memories of a European winter.”

With big crowds expected over the long weekend, NSW Police have warned motorists to be mindful of road conditions, including black ice.

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