Snow lovers vent frustrations over snow cover so bad it ‘makes me want to cry’

It may be the peak of the ski season, but the slopes look far from their snowy best – and skiers and snowboarders are not impressed.

The pics of the ski resort are truly depressing.

It may be the peak of the Australian ski season, but the slopes at our largest ski resort look far from their snowy best – and skiers and snowboarders are not impressed.

Snow lovers have vented their frustrations over the patchy cover at Perisher Ski Resort this weekend, sharing images and videos of the muddy, grassy slopes to social media.

It is the latest disappointing weekend for skiers and snowboarders this season, who have not held back in venting their frustrations over huge queues or poor snow cover.

In one video shared to TikTok on Sunday, one woman shows skiers and boarders swerving around and jumping over wide patches of muddy ground poking through the snow cover.

The disappointment continued in a Facebook group where visitors shared even more photos of the lacklustre conditions.

One woman shared pictures of the slopes at Smiggin Holes, a small village within the Perisher resort, where there only appeared to be skinny strip of snow to ski down. The rest was brown grass.

The disappointed woman said the lesson area looked more like a “lake”.

Snow lovers at Perisher had to grapple with patchy, muddy snow this weekend, during what is usually peak snow season. Picture: Facebook

Comments flooded the pictures lamenting the “sad” conditions, with some saying the scenes were so grim it “makes [them] want to cry”.

“That’s not good … get your best snow dancing clothes on everyone,” one member wrote.

Others remarked how the pictures showed that “the weather can be so cruel”, saying that same slope was “full cover” just a fortnight ago.

“I always feel for the people that booked months ago and paid a lot of money,” another woman replied.

“Try to make the most of it. You can still have some fun.”

But others had a more dire assessment of the conditions, declaring: “snow season has ended”.

“I am 62, have been skiing on and off since I was a kid and while I’ve been there in pretty ordinary conditions, [I] don’t remember it ever being this bad in August,” one man wrote.

Snow lovers say the conditions are so bad it makes them want to cry. Picture: Facebook

One 62-year-old man said he had never seen the slopes this bad. Posted: August 5, 2023, Picture: Facebook

It has been an unusually warm winter in Australia’s southeast, which has left the ski slopes almost entirely bare.

Ski resorts across NSW have had a bumpy run this season, with some not having enough snow cover to open many (or any) ski lifts, or having to bans skiing and snowboarding “due to a lack of snow”.

Measurements from Snowy Hydro of snow coverage at Spencers Creek – the best correlation with falls across mainland alpine regions – show that snow coverage for August this year is well below what it was in 2022. And, perhaps alarmingly, it is tracking downward.

Snow coverage at Spencers Creek is well below what it was this time last season. Picture: Snowy Hydro

The bleak conditions have come despite “quite promising” snowfall top-ups in June and July, according to Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Angus Hines.

However, he said, the optimism quickly petered out as winter progressed and it was clear we're dealing with an unusually warm, dry July.

“As July progressed [snow] dumps became sparse and infrequent and quite light,” Mr Hines told news.com.au.

“July across the country was warm and dry, which are two things you don’t really want when you’re hoping for snow accumulation.”

He said although there were some cold fronts that brought top-ups to snow fields, they were “quite weak, with small top-ups or none at all”.

“The lack of cold fronts have a two pronged effect,” Mr Hines said.

“Firstly, it means not bringing fresh snow … and with the lack of cold fronts, the weather between is often clear and sunny and warm and that can melt away snow accumulated during July, which we have seen.”

This was Spencer’s Creek today. Shocking for August. pic.twitter.com/SCrx9PyyLH

— Jane O'Dwyer @[e-mail] (@msodwyer) August 5, 2023

Another Perisher Snow Lover shared a picture of the slopes this weekend, captioning it 'Instagram vs. Reality'. Picture: Facebook

Another Perisher Snow Lover shared a picture of the slopes this weekend, captioning it 'Instagram vs. Reality'. Picture: Facebook

And yet this melting effect has not deterred keen snow enthusiasts from making their way to the slopes, meaning visitors still had to contend with massive queues where the snow was more plentiful.

In scenes similar to the jaw-dropping crowds accumulated at ski lifts during the school holidays this year, dozens of rugged up skiers and snowboarders stood in line on the much more snowy Mt Perisher.

Skiers queued for half-an-hour for a chair lift. Posted: August 5, 2023, Picture: Facebook

The crowd could be seen waiting at the bottom of the slope. Picture: Facebook

One commenter said the wait for a lift was “30+ minutes”, with one man taking a selfie from the line saying he “can confirm” the line was “taking ages”.

Unfortunately for skiers, though, the Bureau of Meteorology says there are no signs of major improvement for the short or long-term.

Mr Hines said it’s looking “pretty meagre for upcoming snowfall”.

“The long-term forecast for August is another month of above average temperatures and below average rainfall,” he said.

“It is still august, so atmosphere has the potential to bring cold air, so the season is not a complete write off yet. There’s still the possibility to see big top ups, and cold fronts still remain possible even if it remains warmer.”