One chair lift open across NSW and Victorian ski resorts for 2024 snow season opening

It may be opening weekend but there is a sad situation unfolding across Australia’s most popular ski resorts.

The snow season may have officially kicked off but Aussie skiers and snowboarders won’t be rushing to hit the slopes this weekend.

There are only four lifts open across NSW and Victorian resorts, three being conveyor belts/magic carpets and only one being a chair lift, which is at Mount Buller.

The opening long weekend can be a hit-and-miss for snow, so the resorts usually put a big focus on socialising and entertainment.

Fortunately, there is some skiing and snowboarding happening on Mt Buller’s beginner run Bourke Street, with the Bourke Street Carpet and Bourke Street Express six-seater chair lift open.

This is the only chair lift open across NSW and Victorian ski resorts today. Picture: Mt Buller/Tony Harrington

Mt Buller told news.com.au consistent investment in snow-making technology meant it could create stockpiles of snow since early May, which has been groomed out for Bourke Street, as well as a terrain park, beginner lessons and a toboggan slope and snowplay zone.

“It’s a team effort and literally does take a village to get the mountain open and rolling for the start of snow season,” Buller Ski Lifts general manager Noel Landry said.

“The snow-making team have been working night and day for weeks, the groomers have carefully been preparing the runs and our snowplay areas in recent days and it’s a wonderful energy in resort this morning as we start the season with sunshine, snow and smiles.”

Mt Buller groomed its snow-making efforts into a run. Picture: Mt Buller snow cam

Elsewhere in Victoria, at Mount Baw Baw, the closest downhill ski area to Melbourne, the lift report shows all seven ski lifts are closed.

“Despite light snow flurries earlier this week, no significant natural snowfall has arrived across Victoria in time for opening weekend,” Amon Bradshaw said in the resort’s first snow report of the season on Friday. He said they expected some skiable terrain for beginners on Hut Run to Lower 2 due to snow-making.

There is a very small section of skiable terrain for beginners at Mt Baw Baw. Picture: Mt Baw Baw snow cam

All 15 lifts at Falls Creek and 12 lifts at Mount Hotham are also closed.

Sam Gill, head of guest services at Falls Creek, said: “After a solid month of good snow-making, our mountain is feeling the chill, but unfortunately Mother Nature hasn’t been as kind and we’re not able to open for skiing or boarding just yet.”

He added there would be scenic chairlift rides at Halley’s Comet over the weekend.

“With chilly temps and more snow-making opportunities, and a bunch of fresh snow in the forecast next week, we will be open for skiing and boarding as soon as possible,” he said.

At Perisher in NSW, Australia’s largest ski resort, 45 lifts are closed across the four resort areas – Perisher Valley, Smiggin Holes, Blue Cow and Guthega.

Just one conveyor belt at Front Valley, Conveyor No. 3, is in operation for first-time skiers and snowboarders.

The free PEAK Music Festival happening across multiple areas in the resort is still on.

Front Valley at Perisher at about 11.30am on Saturday. Picture: Perisher snow cam

Over at Thredbo, there is only beginner skiing and snowboarding happening on Friday Flat off the Wombats Snow Runner carpet.

All 15 lifts are closed for skiing, with Merritts Gondola and Kosciuszko Chairlift expected to open for scenic rides only.

The resort has been promoting its new Thredbo Alpine Coaster, which is open, and entertainment instead.

“If you’re keen to apres without the ski to celebrate the start of the season, we have a huge line-up of events and entertainment planned for you, including a massive free Alpine Bar apres party featuring Client Liaison,” Scott from the mountain operations team said in a video.

The only skiing at Thredbo is on Friday Flat. Picture: Thredbo snow cam

There are no lifts open at Selwyn Snow Resort, which said “while there has already been some snow on the ground there is just not enough for any sliding over the weekend”.

“There is some substantial snowfall predicted from Tuesday so we have all our fingers crossed that this will bring enough to kick start the Selwyn season,” it added.

Australia’s oldest and highest ski resort, Charlotte Pass, is completely closed after a fire broke out at the resort’s sewerage treatment plant near Mount Kosciuszko’s peak on May 17. The resort doesn’t plan to open until July 5.

Speaking to media on Friday, NSW MP for Monaro Steve Whan said they were hoping for a huge dump of snow in the next week or so to get the season going.

“Hopefully we’ll get those temperatures that allow the snow-making happen,” he said.

“The resorts have put a huge investment into snow-making so we can be confident once we get the night time temperatures, there will be snow for people to come and ski on.”

Both Victoria and NSW Police have issued stern warnings for motorists to drive safely to the snow this season.

Victoria Police said it had a zero-tolerance for unprepared travellers after turning around more than 3600 cars last season at Mt Hotham alone for not having the necessary wheel chains.

New research by the Australian National University, released this week, suggested the length of Australian ski seasons will be slashed by one-third by 2030 even if greenhouse gas emissions are cut radically.

New South Wales fields Charlotte Pass, Perisher and Thredbo, and Victoria’s Falls Creek and Mt Hotham fare better than others under the modelling.

But Ben Lomond, Lake Mountain and mounts Baw Baw, Buller, Selwyn and Stirling will be hit hardest, the research finds.

Broadly speaking, the roughly 100-day resort season length will decline by 16-18 days by the 2030s, regardless of emissions.