The Grasshopper – The Latest Snow Forecast

Australian Forecast – A Little More Snow Up Top Sunday, More Snow Next Week

Published early Friday, 4^th July 2025

The East Coast Low wasn’t what we ordered, but it did give us some snow up high, with some resorts with terrain above 1800m receiving up to 10cm. It turned a little colder on Thursday, with a couple of centimetres accumulating down to around 1600m.

A ridge of high pressure will give us a couple of nice days, Friday and Saturday. Then on Sunday, a weak low-pressure system passes to the north, dragging in a few showers, which should fall as snow about the tops again with up to 5-10cm possible. Another ridge will give us another nice day on Monday.

Latest pressure analysis and satellite image. Source: The BOM (vandalised by the Grasshopper)

Friday 4^th July

Any remaining cloud cover will clear early for a fine, sunny day. Northwest breezes develop.

Saturday 5^th July

Mainly fine again with strengthening northwest winds, although high cloud will gradually build over New South Wales. 

Sunday 6^th July

Showers spread across the Aussie Alps during the morning, then clear Victoria in the afternoon and New South Wales overnight. Snow will fall above about 1800m during the second half of the day, accumulating up to 5-10cm in New South Wales. Northerly winds gradually die away during the day.

Monday 7^th July

A partly sunny, partly cloudy day, while southerly breezes turn northwest.

Extended Forecast

We are still on track for a couple of storm systems to bring snow to the Aussie Alps from Tuesday, the 8th, to Friday, the 11^th, but model forecasts have backed off a touch on totals, which I reckon  are now in the ballpark of 20 to 40cm. Still, it’ll be greatly appreciated after the recent rain event.

That’s all from me today, folks. I’m sending out these forecasts every Monday, Wednesday and Friday throughout the season. Have a great weekend, and I’ll see you back here on Monday.

Grasshopper

New Zealand Forecast – A Little More Snow In Canterbury As Tasman Low Rolls Over The North

Published early Friday, 4^th July 2025

The front came through yesterday, Thursday, bringing fresh snow to the South Island. By the time ski fields shut up shop, they were reporting around 10-12cm. A little more snow fell after that, so this morning’s reports will have the final tally when they come out. Meanwhile, rain and strong winds had Turoa closed for the day and hampered operations at Whakapapa.

A low-pressure system in the Tasman will cross the North Island today, Friday, and Saturday, bringing more rain to Mt Ruapehu, but winds will gradually ease. Meanwhile, a light onshore flow on the South Island will push in a lot of low-level cloud, which will mostly clag up Canterbury slopes. Light, dense snow will fall there from Friday night until the early hours of Sunday, potentially adding up to 5 to 10cm. Things clear up on Sunday as the low moves out east, with fine weather persisting through Monday into Tuesday.

Friday 4^th July

The Southern Lakes ski fields will be mostly clear above a deck of low-level cloud. Canterbury will remain mostly cloudy through the day before dense snow falls at night. Light winds.

More rain and strong northwest winds for Mt Ruapehu.

Saturday 5^th July

A light southeast breeze will keep a deck of low-level cloud over the Southern Lakes, which may sometimes affect the lower slopes of ski fields, limiting visibility. Otherwise, it’ll be bluebird above it.

A cloudy day, clagged-in, low vis day for Canterbury with light snowfall and light south-southeast breezes.

Rain persists throughout the day on Mt Ruapehu, while northwest winds gradually ease. The rain will finally clear at night as southeast winds develop.

Sunday 6^th July

Fine and sunny for Southern Lakes with a light southerly breeze.

Remaining light snowfall in Canterbury clears early morning before cloud tops lower below base levels later in the morning, leaving blue skies for the rest of the day. Super light south to southwest breezes.

South to southeast winds on Mt Ruapehu will finally bring mostly clear skies.

Monday 7^th July

A nice, fine day with light winds across all NZ ski fields.

Tuesday 8^th July

A fine start to the day, but clouds and northeast winds will start to build over the country as a front approaches from the west.

Extended Forecast

Later next week, on Wednesday, the 9^th, or Thursday, the 10^th of July, one or two fronts from the west will bring a mild northerly flow over the country and a mix of rain and high-level snow to South Island ski fields. The fronts are expected to be weak at this stage, so precipitation figures aren’t large.

Next Weekend, another Tasman Low is expected to roll over the North Island again, potentially bringing heavy rain and high-level snow to Mt Ruapehu. Colder winds from the east to south over the South Island should bring more snow to ski fields there, with Canterbury currently favoured for a big dump.

That’s all from me today, folks. I’m sending out these forecasts every Monday, Wednesday and Friday throughout the season. Have a great weekend, and I’ll see you back here on Monday.

Grasshopper

The Grasshopper has wrapped up his weekly Japan forecasts for for the 2024/25 season. He’s having a couple of months R&R and will be back in June with his Australian and New Zealand  forecasts.

And, of course, Japan’s best snow forecasts will resume in December 2025.

The Grasshopper has wrapped up his weekly NorthAmerican forecasts for for the 2024/25 season. He’s having a couple of months R&R and will be back in June with his Australian and New Zealand  forecasts.

And, of course, our North American snow forecasts will resume in December 2025.