Mountain Planning Manager (Vail Resorts Australia) Sophie Ballinger was on the chair during the test run and reflects on the project: “There’s been lots of steps in the process, from that first construction certificate to now, and working with lots of different people within Perisher and Doppelmayr Australia has been just great.”

The construction period stretched more than 18 months, with Perisher and Doppelmayr Australia teams facing hot summer working conditions in high altitude, to frozen muddy work areas, and everything in between, to complete the project.

“We’re all working really hard towards the goal. Nothing’s too hard, or too small – we’ve all been on board to work together,” said Doppelmayr Australia GM Shaun Turner, who also jumped on the test run. “It was pretty special getting up there for the test run on such a nice day, having a look out at the view and everything that Mt Perisher offers has been amazing.”

The project is a significant investment in the guest experience at Perisher and highlights the commitment from Vail Resorts to the Australian Snowsports Industry.

“A big thank you to everyone involved in this project,” said Michael Fearnside, Perisher’s Operations Director. “There’s so much work involved and it’s truly a team effort. It’s been quite the challenge, and quite the result.”

The post Mt Perisher 6 Chairlift spins for staff on special test run appeared first on Snowatch.

By Pete ‘The Frog’ Taylor
Snow Forecaster & Owner
snowatch.com.au

Snowatch® Early Season Outlook 2025

It is that time again when we look towards the new snow season after two of the worst seasons on record. Season 2024 will go down as once of the worse ones. Season 2023’s snow depth was only 7cm more, so it’s been two years of very ordinary snow. These depths are not the worst recorded, with 2006 only reaching 85cm, 1982-91cm and 1993 only got to 112cm. This shows that we have had bad seasons before and come back. For those that think it’s all over and we will never see deep snow again, remember that 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2022 all reached well over 2m in snow depth at Spencer’s Creek and 2021 was just below 2m.

How is early 2025 looking?

To come.

What usually happens this time of year?

Usually during May and June we see a lot of large dominating blocking high pressure systems revolving around the southern hemisphere bringing extended periods of dry weather with most potential snow bearing cold fronts being forced south under the mainland. Any snowfalls we see before June usually melts quite quickly, although it can help freeze the ground which helps the snow makers to create a base layer of snow.

So, when will it snow?

Looking at the current charts the next week looks quite mild and warm with temps dropping on the 4^th. There is a chance of light snow falling around the 5^th to 6^th of May. It won’t last long on the ground but will more than likely increase the anxiety levels for the coming season.

Looking a bit further ahead I see temps milder than usual and quite a lot of moisture around which won’t be good for potential snow making leading into the season opening on June 11.

If I had to throw out some dates for potential for snow, I’d say around the 12^th-13^th of May and then a follow up system around the 21st-23rd of May.

In summary

In Summary I see a slow start to the season with limited snow making opportunities and unfortunately not a lot of natural snow. I think this pattern will remain until La Nina weakens more which probably won’t happen until July sometime. As this happens the likelihood of good consistent snowfalls will, and I think the back end of the season from mid-July to September will be quite decent.

All it takes for the season to get into full swing is a couple of decent falls so there is nothing to say an early dump can’t change things before July.

The daily Snowatch® forecasts begin on Monday 2nd May and as per usual you will see a 15 day forecast for each resort as well as a long range outlook for the next month pin pointing any future snowfalls to help in planning your next snow trips.

About Snowatch®

Snowatch.com.au is Australia’s longest running dedicated snow forecasting website. Owned and operated by Pete ‘The Frog’ Taylor it is well known for pinpointing snow bearing systems up to four weeks out. Unlike other weather sites Snowatch® does not rely on automated algorithms to pump out snowfall predictions. Pete ‘The Frog’ is up early 7 days a week from May 1^st through to closing weekend in October studying the charts and data before manually inputting forecasts for each resort for the next 15 days as well as adding his thoughts on the long rang outlook. Pete ‘The Frog’ also helps out fellow Snowatcher’s answering emails and facebook messages in regards to queries on coming snowfalls. There is also a 7 day forecast for the New Zealand snowfields around Queenstown and Wanaka for the Aussies who like to keep an eye out over the ditch.

The post After two of the worst snow seasons on record, how are we looking for Season 2025? appeared first on Snowatch.

By Pete ‘The Frog’ Taylor
Snow Forecastor & Owner
snowatch.com.au

Snowatch® Early Season Outlook 2021

It is that time again when we look towards a coming snow season in the hope that things will be better than the last, which was a bit of a nightmare. Besides COVID closing the Victorian resorts last year and seeing the NSW resorts operating at 50% capacity the snow depth itself was also very disappointing.  With so much uncertainty leading into the season snowmaking was not able to begin as early as it would normally, so resorts were behind the eight ball when they finally got the go ahead to open. Natural snowfalls were scarce and the max depth in NSW was recorded at Spencer’s Creek at 167.8cm on August 27^th, and with that reading taken up around 1700m it was much less low down, especially from mid mountain at Thredbo.

Ok, so what is on the cards for 2021?

All resorts (apart from Selwyn Snow Resort which is still to be rebuilt after bushfires burnt it to the ground) are planning on opening, but again it will be on a limited scale due to COVID and social distancing. The reason the mountains limitations are a stricter than say going to the MCG or SCG for footy are that the virus spreads more rapidly in colder temperatures. As per last season I’m told you will still be required to use face coverings, which shouldn’t be an issue as it worked fine for those who skied or boarded last year.

Since the drought ended, we have been in a strong La Nina weather pattern which brings above average rainfall and slightly warmer temps. That pattern has since eased a little and we are in an ENSO neutral pattern which I see as a positive. The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) released their climate overview on April 22 and below are some things to note for the early part of Season 2021:

• May to July rainfall likely to be below average for parts of south-east Australia
• May is likely to be drier than average in parts of south-eastern Australia.
• Maximum temperatures for May to July are likely to be warmer than average Australia wide.
• Minimum temperatures for May to July are likely to be warmer than average for almost all of Australia except the inland south-east.

These scenarios would normally mean that we will see limited opportunities for snow making leading into the opening weekend. What I see is that we will still see periods of cold clear nights in the mountains that will allow for the snow guns to operate as large high pressure systems sit over the SE of the country. Mt Buller has its ‘SnowFactory’ machine already pumping out snow at positive temps, building a stockpile of snow on Bourke Street to be spread out prior to opening weekend.

The ENSO Neutral phase to me is a positive going by past season’s that have begun in this phase. The chance of some early snow is quite high once we see a break in the dominating high pressure systems that are usual for this time of the year.

So when will it snow?

A weak cool change on the 3^rd of May could see some light snow falling about the peaks, nothing to get too excited about though. Things are looking better a bit further out where I see a stronger colder system due to arrive in the mountains around the 11^th-13^th of May. I really like the positioning of this system, just hope the highs don’t strengthen and force these south. If this comes off it may well help the snowmakers to create a base even though we are still a month out from season opening on the 12^th of June.

Looking even further out I also like the look of a strong system that should arrive around the 19^th-23^rd of May.

The one thing that could ruin these calls are if the high pressure systems revolving around the southern hemisphere increase in strength over the next month and force these systems south, which you would normally expect at this time of year. There is a small positive with that in that we would see more cold clear nights for the snow guns to fire up.

So to sum things up I see a pretty good start to the early part leading into the opening weekend. I’ll of course keep updating things on Snowatch® and it won’t be too soon until I should be able to post what I think is in store for the opening weekend. If I had to stick my neck out, I would say we have a good chance of a decent season with consistent snowfalls.

The daily forecasts with 15 day forecasts for each resort as well as the long range outlook will start on tomorrow on May 1^st.

About Snowatch®

Snowatch.com.au is Australia’s longest running dedicated snow forecasting website. Owned and operated by Pete ‘The Frog’ Taylor it is well known for pinpointing snow bearing systems up to four weeks out. Unlike other weather sites Snowatch® does not rely on automated algorithms to pump out snowfall predictions. Pete ‘The Frog’ is up early six days a week from May 1^st through to closing weekend in October studying the charts and data before manually inputting forecasts for each resort for the next 15 days as well as adding his thoughts on the long rang outlook. Pete ‘The Frog’ also helps out fellow Snowatcher’s answering emails and facebook messages in regards to queries on coming snowfalls. There is also a 7 day forecast for the New Zealand snowfields around Queenstown and Wanaka for the Aussies who like to keep an eye out over the ditch.

The post Thumbs up or down for Season 2021? appeared first on Snowatch.

Australian aerial skier Laura Peel has won gold overnight at the Siberian resort of Krasnoyarsk, Russia, securing her first ever FIS World Cup champion title.

The World Cup title is the tenth “crystal globe” won by Australian aerial skiers, with Peel joining legends of the sport Kirstie Marshall, Jacqui Cooper, Alisa Camplin and Lydia Lassila as World Cup champions.

Before the competition Peel was sitting just 44 points ahead of China’s Xu Mengtao in the women’s World Cup ranking, with the final jumps of the season deciding who would take home the overall season title.

When Xu failed to land her jump cleanly in the first round of finals and missed the cut into the top six final round, it was clear that Peel would be victorious. Despite having secured the crystal globe in the middle of the competition, Peel still stepped it up on her final attempt on the day. As the last athlete in the women’s competition, the 2015 World Champion from Canberra executed her most difficult full-tuck-full triple somersault perfectly to win the competition with a final score of 96.99 points.

“It’s hard to put it into words at the moment,” said Peel, “I honestly couldn’t be happier right now.

“It’s my first globe and it’s been almost 10 years working towards it. I have a great team around me and I’m super stoked with the result today.”

Behind Peel on the podium was China’s Xu Sicun with a score of 95.86 in second place and American Ashley Caldwell in third with 88.83 points.

In winning gold, the performance marks the 13^th World Cup podium of the 30 year old athletes career (4 gold, 4 silver, 5 bronze).

Peel’s teammate Abbey Willcox also reached the top six super final finishing in fifth place, ending the season ranked a personal best seventh place on the World Cup standings.

The post Laura Peel joins legends with World Cup win and Crystal Globe appeared first on Snowatch.

The post August 8-12th snowfall gallery appeared first on Snowatch.

With over 60cm of snowfall in the past 3 days and more in the forecast the call has been made to start the lifts turning for the 2019 season this Friday 31 May!! WOOOHOOO, yep that’s right Perisher is OPENING EARLY!

The last 3 days have seen extreme blizzard conditions with heavy snowfalls, strong winds & cold temperatures. The resort is looking fantastic and the even better news we still have more snow to come.

Perisher will operate the Village 8 Express & the ski carpet from 9am this Friday morning! There will also be Terrain Park features on offer this weekend if you’re excited to get a couple early season tricks going!

Pull out your gear, wax those Skis or Boards & get prepared for some sliding, It’s snow go time!

The post Perisher early opening Friday May 31 appeared first on Snowatch.

MT BULLER OPENING NEW CHAIRLIFT ON 1 JUNE 

29 May 2019

What’s better than FREE skiing?  Being the first to get on the slopes this winter and riding a brand new chairlift!

Today Mt Buller announced the resort is opening early on Saturday 1 June to mark the first day of winter with free skiing and boarding on Bourke Street riding the new Bourke Street Express chairlift.

(Guide to: Choosing a snowboard for beginners)

Mt Buller has been blanketed with over 35cms fresh snow so far this week and couldn’t wait until the Queen’s Birthday Weekend to roll the new 6-seater lift. 

Buller Ski Lifts’ owners Rino and Diana Grollo will officially open the Bourke Street Express at 10am on Saturday morning before inviting snowlovers to enjoy free rides for the day to celebrate the first day of the snow season – a week earlier than scheduled!

Buller Ski Lifts General Manager Laurie Blampied confirmed the exciting news this morning, “This $6m chairlift is a big investment and we are very pleased to get skiing on the first day of winter with a deep early snow cover and a brand new chairlift.”

This early opening of Mt Buller’s new 6-seater express lift is possible thanks to strong early snowfalls and a massive snowmaking effort from the resort, which has been busy making snow and preparing since April using two all-weather SnowFactories.

2019 marks the 70th year of lifted skiing at Mt Buller.  It started in 1949 with a single rope tow on the Bourke Street run.  Mt Buller is home to the most modern lift network in Australia with a system of 22 lifts and over 300 hectares of terrain.

Resort Management CEO Mark Bennetts confirmed Mt Buller and Mt Stirling will both officially open on 1 June, offering half price resort entry from Saturday until the Queen’s Birthday Weekend, which means less than $24 per vehicle when bought online in advance. Overnight parking will be free during this period. Shuttle services will operate from the car parks to the village from Saturday morning.

The Mt Buller Ski & Snowboard School will provide limited beginner ski and snowboard lessons from this Saturday and retail/rental stores at Mt Buller and in Mansfield will be open early for equipment hire. A number of hospitality venues in resort are open early and ready to serve meals and drinks. (Guide to: Choosing a snowboard for beginners)

Bourke Street ski run will remain open from Sunday 2 June at usual hours of 9am – 5pm.  Lift passes for Sunday onwards are available online from $66 for adults and $37 for children. 

The post Mt Buller celebrates the first day of winter – FREE skiing this Saturday appeared first on Snowatch.

Below is a collection of photos of the fresh early season snowfalls taken May 27-30th – 2019 from in and around the NSW and Victorian resorts.

The post May 2019 snowfall photo’s appeared first on Snowatch.

For Season 2019 BMW drivers will benefit from Falls Creek’s major sponsorship deal with the luxury car manufacturer.

A number of reserved priority parking spots will made available to BMW drivers in winter 2019. BMW VIP Parks will be located alongside QT Falls Creek and Ropers Apartments and will allow BMW drivers to park overnight without using the long term parking zones.

The post BMW drivers to get VIP parking at Falls Creek appeared first on Snowatch.

Special introductory offer includes BOTH 2019 and 2020 seasons at Mt Buller and discount pricing extended until 10 June

Mt Buller is the newest destination to join The Ikon Pass, opening up yet more exciting options for skiers and snowboarders seeking winter experiences in Australia and overseas.  Mt Buller’s arrival on the popular Ikon Pass puts Victoria’s most accessible alpine resort alongside 38 iconic winter ski destinations around the globe. 

“Mt Buller is delighted to join the Ikon Pass for the 19/20 season, we are in great company with such an impressive line-up of incredible mountain destinations,” said Laurie Blampied, General Manager, Mt Buller. “We look forward to introducing more people from around the globe to the pleasures of skiing and boarding through the snowgums, spotting wombats along the trail, and the unique experience of staying high in the snowline in our unique Australian alpine village.”

 “We are excited to give skiers and riders another great reason to hit the slopes in Australia with the addition of Mt Buller,” said Erik Forsell, Chief Marketing Officer, Alterra Mountain Company. “The expansive access encourages Ikon Pass holders to explore year-round winter at iconic destinations across the planet.” 

Mt Buller joins Thredbo in New South Wales, Coronet Peak, The Remarkables, and Mt Hutt in New Zealand, and Valle Nevado in Chile in the Southern Hemisphere accessible with The Ikon Pass. 

In celebration of Mt Buller’s inaugural Ikon Pass season, 19/20 Ikon Pass holders will enjoy bonus early access to Mt Buller for the 2019 season starting in June, along with regular access to the 2020 season. 

The Ikon Pass offers seven-day access to each destination per season, with no blackout dates, while the Ikon Base Pass offers five-day access to each destination per season, with no blackout dates at Mt Buller and some selected black-out dates at Thredbo. 

The Ikon Pass is available now at early discounted rates starting at $649 USD at www.ikonpass.com through Tuesday, 23 April 2019. 

To give Australians more time to take up the new Ikon Pass offer these early discounted rates will be extend through to the start of the southern ski season on Monday 10 June 2019 if bought through the following travel partners: Blue Powder, Mint Tours, Mogul Ski World, Scout, SkiMax Holidays, Ski Travel Company, Sno n Ski/MySnow Travel, Snowcapped Travel, and Travelplan in Australia, plus AMPED, The Ski Travel Specialists, and travel&co in New Zealand.   

To provide additional value for families Ikon Pass holders can buy up to two discounted Child Ikon Passes or Child Ikon Base Passes for children aged 5-12 with the purchase of an Adult Ikon Pass or Ikon Base Pass.  This Child Pass Promotion has also been extended through Monday, June 10, when purchased through selected regional travel partners. New 19/20 Child Passes will be valid at Mt Buller for the 2019 and 2020 seasons.  

The Ikon Pass, introduced in January 2018, unlocks adventure with access to 39 iconic winter destinations across the Americas, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

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