Fresh Powder Arrives in New Zealand

At Cardrona, the vibes seem to be high. “​​Can’t wait to see how this transforms the terrain in the coming days, and most importantly, can’t wait to get at it!” the resort wrote in a social media post.

Yesterday, The Remarkables’ patrol team wrote “The drought is over” on Instagram. They also noted that the new snow is falling on an old, firm surface, prompting the temporary closure of the Shadow Basin Chairlift and its accompanying terrain.

“If we continue to ski on what we have, the conditions will not improve, so we need to be patient,” the patrol team wrote in a social media post.

Multiple heavy snow warnings and watches are in effect across New Zealand’s South Island, where many of the country’s ski areas are located.

Unsurprisingly, the arrival of heavy snow elevates the risk for car-borne travelers. Gerard Bellam, a forecaster for New Zealand’s MetService, told The New Zealand Herald that “People do need to take care and keep up to date with our forecasts and warnings for the next few days.”

Australia, too, is experiencing a sudden blast of wintry weather. The Guardian reports that the mercury has fallen 5 degrees Celsius below seasonal average throughout much of the country’s eastern flank.

With August just around the corner, the Southern Hemisphere’s ski season is hovering around the halfway point. In New Zealand, the season tends to run through October—snowfall and ski area dependent—meaning there’s plenty of time for another storm cycle or three.

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