Roundups

Issued: 10 June 2020 By Patrick "Snowhunter" Thorne North American RoundupEuropean RoundupAsia Roundup SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE OVERVIEW Excitement is definitely mounting in the Southern Hemisphere with the 2020 ski season now just days away for New Zealand and actually already underway at one small ski area, Afriski in Lesotho.  There’s been a slight delay due to the virus with ski areas opening a week or two later than they would have done without this serious problem.There has been the usual jockeying for position. Afriski had originally set a June 4th opening date before the pandemic became an issue, but then said they’d open a fortnight later, on the 18th. New Zealand’s Mt Hutt, originally targeting the 5th of June before the…

The 2020 ski season in the southern hemisphere has got underway earlier than most recently expected – although later than originally envisaged. The small ski area of Afriski in the land-locked southern African nation of Lesotho has revealed that it opened to local skiers and snowboarders yesterday (Friday 5th June). The area has had sunny but cold weather for several weeks after some May snowfalls but has had snowmaking operating and has a few hundred metres of snow slope accessible to locals. Lesotho is completely surrounded by South Africa, however the border is currently closed. Before the global virus pandemic began the earliest opening date announced for a southern hemisphere ski area was May 30th for the Happy Valley ‘snow…

Issued: 03 June 2020 By Patrick "Snowhunter" Thorne North American RoundupEuropean RoundupAsia Roundup SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE OVERVIEW The past week has seen further 'firming up' of 2020 season-opening dates with most ski areas in Australia announcing they'll be opening on either 22nd or 24th June, rather than their traditional opening weekend, which is just coming up. But with doubts that they would be able to open in June at all not so long ago, it's a relief that the season will be able to start soon. They join ski areas in New Zealand in confirming dates (the first there was due to have been May 30th before the pandemic became an issue, now its June 12th,  the end of next week. …

Issued: 27 May 2020 By Patrick "Snowhunter" Thorne North American Roundup European Roundup Asia Roundup SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE OVERVIEW Falls Creek Resort this Week It’s the start of winter, by the meteorological measure, in the Southern Hemisphere next Monday and it is beginning to feel like that in most countries with ski areas. There’s been more fresh snow in the Andes and New Zealand in recent days and Australian slopes got another dusting in the past week too. Dry in the mountains of southern Africa but cold enough to fire up snow-making systems. Things continue to develop in terms of what's going to open when and what's not, as the usual start date of the Southern Hemisphere's ski season comes closer. …

Issued: 20 May 2020 By Patrick "Snowhunter" Thorne North American RoundupEuropean RoundupAsia Roundup SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE OVERVIEW There’s not been much snow to report in the Southern Hemisphere this week. For most areas temperatures are getting lower with the start of meteorological winter less than a fortnight away. Most of the talk has been about whether ski areas will be able to open next month for the start of the 2020 ski season. The good news for New Zealand and Lesotho is that the answer is probably yes; however, both with closed borders.  For Australia and Chile, it's looking more likely to be July; however, nothing is certain yet. For Argentina and South Africa, again, the current picture remains uncertain. AUSTRALIA…