Southern Hemisphere Weekly Roundup #239

Mid-Winter Magic: Bariloche Transforms into Snowy Wonderland Amidst Southern Hemisphere Chill

• Afriski in Lesotho sets June 1st as the earliest expected opening date for the 2024 Southern Hemisphere ski season.
• Pre-season snowfalls have been reported across various Southern Hemisphere ski areas, including Tasmania's Ben Lomond and New Zealand's Mt Dobson Ski Area.
• South American ski areas experience consistent snowfall and cold temperatures, with Bariloche resembling mid-winter after recent snowfall.

REPORT

The move towards more wintery weather continues with a month to go to the expected first centres opening for the 2024 season in the southern hemisphere. Afriski in Lesotho, Southern Africa has so far named the earliest expected opening date of June 1st, 2024. This week’s pre-season snowfalls have been reported on more southern hemisphere ski slopes including some of the world’s most southerly on Tasmania at Ben Lomond ski area. There were some good pre-season snowfalls in New Zealand too over the last week. At One point Mt Dobson Ski Area reported temperatures down to -6C but 100kph (nearly 70 mph) winds at the top of their Fairlie Ridge T-bar, together creating a -19C wind chill. That didn’t stop staff at The Remarkables enjoying a late-April snowball fight though and there was a good covering down to base level at a number of other ski areas including Cardrona and Mt Hutt. Ski areas in South America have also reported more snowfall and consistently cold temperatures through the past week, with centres including Argentina’s Cerro Bayo and La Hoya amongst those posting snowy images. For ski town Bariloche near Cerro Catedral ski area, there was the first snowfall down to resort level too after the ski area's upper mountain turned white the week before. It has been looking like mid-winter there for the past few days.

FORECAST

After the cold and snowy week for many South American ski areas, it’s looking like sunnier, drier weather will dominate for the remainder of this week, but still with temperatures fairly cool, in the -6 to +6C range. It is looking dry on Australian slopes into the weekend. Overnight lows are down at -6 or -6 on high slopes so close to snowmaking temps, but daytime highs still reach +10C on lower runs. Midweek snowfall is likely on higher New Zealand slopes with temperatures ranging between -10 and +10C, so rain at times and snow won't be around long except up very high. A drier end to the week.