Australia's Ski Season Is About To Get Underway

At 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, skiers and snowboarders can hop on the Bourke Street Express at Mt. Buller to spin hot laps. Earlier this week, the ski resort shared footage of the beginner Bourke Street trail disappearing under piles of man-made snow. To commemorate opening day, Mt. Buller has a stacked roster of activities, including live music, fireworks, and scenic lift rides.

Other major Australian ski resorts, like Perisher and Hotham Alpine Resort, have begun snowmaking without confirming the details of their opening day plans on social media. Both ski resorts' planned opening dates, per their websites, fall on this upcoming Saturday. Those mountains might be waiting on the weather before releasing any specifics.

An incoming round of snowfall could help solidify openings and lead to larger early-season terrain offerings, with multiple inches starting to fall as the weekend begins. Hotham Alpine Resort, in an Instagram comment, wrote that it's “stoked for the forecast this weekend!”

Last winter, in 2024, the Australian ski season came to an unceremonious close as many ski resorts halted operations early due to warm weather, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reports. Per the outlet’s reporting, those poor skiing conditions are part of a larger, overall warming trend connected to climate change.

But that rocky period, for now, is in the past. At present in Australia, wintry weather is looming, and in only a few days, skiers will be making their first runs of the year.