Southern Hemisphere Weekly Snow Roundup #333

• Australia’s 2026 season ends on Friday.
• South America’s largest area extends season into October.
• Chile’s ski areas begin closing down; some continue into next month though.

Southern Hemisphere Introduction

As spring advances, the Southern Hemisphere season is clearly winding down. Australia is closing out in the next few days after a very challenging winter, with its final ski area preparing to shut after weeks of shrinking terrain and warm temperatures that accelerated the decline. In New Zealand, the pattern has been typically mixed: bursts of sunshine, fresh snowfalls, and occasional mild spells that thin cover, prompting several closures and reducing open terrain across the country. Argentina is also transitioning toward the season’s end, though most centres continue to operate with 60–100% of terrain thanks to deep snow and, in some areas, extensive snowmaking that has helped prolong operations. Meanwhile, Chile remains the strongest performer, with most ski areas still widely open, supported by solid spring snowpacks and stable weather that has preserved upper‑mountain conditions. Here too, though resorts have begun ending their seasons, with more expected to follow this weekend.

Australia Report

Assuming there is no last-minute change, we're into the final hours of Australia's 2026 season. Perisher (1/10cm / 0/4"), the last area still open, has had a pretty good week with more dustings of fresh natural snow and temps still low enough overnight for snowmakers to run, but it has already announced it will be ending its season 10 days earlier than hoped (joining all other Aussie areas that closed up to a month early due to the poor snowfall and warm temperatures winter they've endured).  It's had about 8km (5 miles) of runs open at the weekend, but that has now dropped to just 2km (1.25 miles) for the final few days. Temperatures have ranged from -5C overnight up high to +15C at the base in the afternoons. The last day of the season is expected to be this Friday, 25^th September.

Australia Forecast

No last-minute snowfall for Perisher, with the weather set to stay mild and mostly sunny through the final days, with daytime highs reaching 14–18 °C. Conditions are dominated by clear skies, light winds early, and stronger northwesterly gusts developing toward Friday. Overnight lows hover around −1 to 6 °C, keeping mornings crisp before warming quickly under the sunshine.

New Zealand Report

It's been the usual mix of good days and bad on New Zealand's slopes.  There were reports of some perfect spring days to start the week after a decent dump bolstered cover at the end of last week, but also some areas noting mild temperatures were impacting their cover, although a fresh spell of cold, snowy weather over the last 48 hours for some has improved things all over again.  There are signs of the season end approaching for some, with a couple of fields already closed and most other areas going from the 100% open of the last month to 70-80% this week. That said, Mt Hutt (130/190cm / 52/36") continues to report every slope open and has seen its base, the country's deepest, actually increase a little over the past week.

New Zealand Forecast

The current mostly settled spell, with cold, clear days dominating across both islands, looks like it will break down as we head into the weekend with more snowfall forecast. Summit temperatures remain deeply wintry, often between –14°C and –5°C, while bases lift to milder highs of 4–8°C. A front is likely to bring high‑level snow to ski slopes and accumulations look modest but potentially heavier later in the weekend.

Argentina Report

The ski season is starting to end in Argentina, with some centres deciding to close for 2026 last weekend. However, the slopes at most remain 60-100% open, and it’s not all over yet with Las Leñas (130/330cm / 52/132") having already announced it was extending its season by a week to this coming weekend, and now South America's largest resort by uplift, Catedral (80/90cm / 32/36") near Bariloche, has announced they’re going one better and will be staying open to October 11^th. 

"This winter, the expansion of the artificial snow-making system allowed us to guarantee the opening of the mountain from July 7, despite a season with scarce natural snowfalls. That investment and operational capacity allow us to add more days and extend the season until October 12," a spokesperson said.

Both resorts still have over 32km (20 miles) of slopes open.  The past week has seen a real springtime mixed bag of weather with rain, sleet and at times heavy snowfall reported, temperatures varying between -5C overnight on higher terrain to +15C in the afternoons at resort level, although in recent days most have seen temperatures sticking a few degrees either side of freezing point.

Argentina Forecast

Argentina’s ski areas will continue to see a mixed, changeable weather pattern, swinging between cold nights, mild afternoons and occasional light snow at altitude. Temperatures swing between -10C on high terrain overnight to +1) in the afternoons down low, and thus forecast precipitation varies between snow, sleet and rain. A weak front later in the period may deliver scattered flurries to higher terrain in Las Leñas and other southerly areas, but widespread accumulation looks limited. Overall, expect variable freeze–thaw cycles, firm mornings, and softer springlike snow developing each afternoon.

Chile Report

Chile’s ski areas remain widely open with solid spring cover, although Nevados de Chillán did call it a day on its 2026 season last weekend, the first big-name resort outside Australia to do so. Valle Nevado (90/180 cm / 35/71"), which has extended its season for another three weeks, is fully open with 40 km (25 miles), which is 100% of its area available. Linked El Colorado (50/140 cm / 20/55") offers 45.5 km (28 miles), while La Parva (60/150 cm / 24/59") has 28 km (17 miles) open for a total of 113km (70 miles) of runs skiable across the ‘3 Valleys of The Andes’. Corralco (135/319 cm / 53/126") leads Chile for depth, with 17 km (11 miles) open. Portillo (195/285 cm / 77/112") maintains strong coverage and 16 km (80%) open. Overall, terrain remains widely accessible, with deep snowpacks at most major centres.

Chile Forecast

Most Chilean ski regions stay mostly clear and settled, with only light precipitation expected. Southern zones remain cloudy and chilly, with a chance of late‑night snow and highs around 6–8 °C and lows near 0–2 °C. Mid‑Andes resorts show limited immediate snowfall, with valley temperatures from 2 °C to 12 °C and freeze–thaw conditions higher up. Overall, expect predominantly dry weather, occasional cloud, and only brief, localised snow across the Andes, with a high chance of rain or sleet on lower slopes.