Countdown to Winter – Snow and Snowmaking in Perfect Pre-Season Week

Clucas family from Melbourne celebrate under the snow guns on Bourke Street run at Mt Buller this morning. Image:: Harro

Snowmaking and Snowfalls | Tess Cook

Perfect winter conditions have arrived in the Australian alpine regions, on cue, five days before the official opening of the winter 2011 season.

All the elements for an ideal opening weekend are lining up fast. Up to 35cm of snow is forecast for early in the week, with a run of cold days, dropping to minus seven degrees and not climbing above minus three, and relatively calm winds culminating in either some sunshine or more snow over the weekend.

“If this (the low currently on track for the Australian Alps) plays out, then we’re looking at good strong southerly winds feeding in very cold air that’s had plenty of time to pick up moisture from the ocean surface before being sucked upwards in the low pressure. The executive summary? Juicy snow showers through until Saturday,” said The Grasshopper in Monday’s detailed forecast analysis.

While the forecast is not yet set in stone and there’s a possibility the low won’t eventuate as needed, snow in some amount is a certainty and conditions should stay perfect for snowmaking and the start of the week at least should play out as forecast. Overnight temperatures dropped to minus 10 degrees at Falls Creek and snow has been falling intermittently throughout the day.

Real snow in Falls Creek overnight on Sunday 5 June. Image:: Chris Hocking

Snowmaking going strong

Most of the resorts have been blasting snow for several weeks now, with excellent results. The cold expected this week will enable them to establish an excellent base across all snowmaking areas.

Buller began snowmaking Sunday 5 June. 25% of the resort has snowmaking coverage, with a $1 million dollar upgrade to the system over the summer bringing snowmaking to to Family Run, the Chute and Wombat’s Run right down to the Extension.

Falls Creek’s smowmaking crew began working full roster on Monday 6 June but the resort has been making snow for several weeks, a good covering of snow has already been laid down and with temperatures hovering well below zero the resort expects to blast out plenty more before opening weekend.

Hotham is augmenting the weekend snowfall with snowmaking. The resort’s system covers 25 hectares and has been hard at work since the beginning of June.

Perisher has already made 8 400 cubic metres of snow on Front Valley and Blue Cow and with conditions so ideal the resort will keep firing the guns all week.

Thredbo is famous for having Australia’s most extensive snowmaking system, guns have been firing across the 67 hectares since mid May and with a few centimetres of natural snow already accumulating the resort is looking all ready for opening weekend.

Sunrise snowmaking in Thredbo back in mid May! Image:: Thredbo

Keep watching the cams and forecasts and stay tuned for reports beginning soon!

Perisher forecasts,
snow reports and
live snow cams.

Falls Creek forecasts,
snow reports and
live snow cams.

Mount Buller forecasts,
snow reports and
live snow cams.

Hotham forecasts,
snow reports and
live snow cams.

Thredbo forecasts,
snow reports and
live snow cams.