The Grasshopper – The Latest Snow Forecast

Australian Forecast – Storm of the Season, Numbers on Track at the Halfway Mark

Published early Friday, 29^th August 2025

We’re about halfway through the Storm of the Season. By Thursday morning, resorts reported totals between 21 and 27cm, with 10cm for Mt Baw Baw. Since then, another pile of close to 20cm has built up on Perisher’s snow stake by the time of writing, with snowflakes still darting across the screen.

We should see another 20 to 35+ cms through the second half of this storm, with snowfall becoming heavy later today, Friday, into early Saturday as the final storm system rolls through. Strong northwesterlies will also blow in an extra load from the windward side onto the upper slopes.

After a strong southerly rips through early Saturday, we’ll be left with lingering showers and flurries in Victoria through the weekend and Monday and Tuesday as winds gradually ease and turn north west. New South Wales, meanwhile, will be dry with plenty of sunshine and deep powder to kick off the spring season.

Friday 29^th August

Snow showers build into heavy snowfall through the latter half of the day as the next frontal system passes over, but it may turn a little wet and sleety below about 1600m for a time in the afternoon. Blizzard conditions with gale to severe gale northwesterlies in exposed areas.

Saturday 30^th August

Heavy snowfall eases to snow showers during the morning after a humdinger of a southerly wind change rips through before dawn. The snow showers gradually dry up throughout the day as gale southerlies abate and turn southwest, although they’ll linger on Mt Baw Baw till late.

Sunday 31^st August

Snow showers and flurries linger in Victoria, especially about Mt Baw Baw and Mt Buller, as southwesterlies continue to ease. However, it may be wet and sleety below about 1500-1600m. New South Wales resorts will stay dry with plenty of sunshine.

Monday 1^st September

A partly sunny, partly cloudy day as westerly breezes die away, with the chance of rain and snow showers in western Victoria.

Tuesday 2^nd September

Another partly sunny, partly cloudy day with a few showers of rain and mid- to upper-level snow in Victoria. Northwest breezes develop.

Extended Forecast

Weather-wise, there’s nothing too major lined up for later next week. A weak front will likely bring showers of snow and low-level rain on Wednesday, September 3rd. A stronger system is on the cards around Friday and Saturday, September 5th and 6th, bringing rain, high-level snow, and strong northerly winds initially, followed by a cold change and a dusting of snow.

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 – Strong Winds & Frequent Top-Ups as Spring Arrives in Style

Published early Friday, 29^th August 2025

New Zealand has entered into a long, stormy, unsettled period that’ll take us into the spring season. It’s classic spring-time weather, where we have a busy schedule of frontal systems lined up and strong winds that will hardly let up, especially in Canterbury and on Mt Ruapehu, where frequent gale-to-severe gale force winds will hamper operations. Each passing front will bring fluctuating temperatures and bouts of rain and snow, although on the whole, it’ll be cold, so we’ll see more of the latter, thankfully.

Southern lakes resorts have already seen 15+cms in the past 24 hours and frequent top-ups of powder from passing fronts will see South Island ski fields rack up some decent snowfall totals throughout this forecast period, from today, Friday, to Tuesday. Around 20 to 40cm is expected for the Southern Lakes, and 10 to 25cm for Canterbury, although Temple Basin could exceed half a metre due to being closest to the Main Divide. Mt Ruapehu will more or less see constant precipitation, with totals also likely to exceed half a metre on the upper slopes, diminishing to around 15 to 25cm on the lower slopes due to some of it falling as rain.

Friday 29^th August

A few snow showers, mostly on the Queenstown side early morning and from later in the afternoon as chilly west-to-northwest winds arrive, with fine spells in between.

In Canterbury, cloud retreats back to the Main Divide during the morning as gale northwesters back off a touch, leaving mostly sunny skies. However, Temple Basin in the west will see snow showers morning and evening.

Saturday 30^th August

Cloud increases over the South Island as a frontal system approaches. Showers of snow and low-level rain start spilling over the Main Divide from afternoon, while strong northwesterlies rise to severe gale in exposed parts of Canterbury. A cold westerly change brings a more widespread top-up of around 2-8cm of snow to the Southern Lakes from evening.

Sunday 31^st August

Snow showers to low levels over the Southern Lakes clear early as cold northwesterlies start to turn northwest, but they return later in the afternoon before another, stronger southwest change hits in the evening.

In Canterbury, a light, cold southerly creeps in during the wee hours before dawn, bringing a nice top-up of around 10-15cm of quality powder to low levels before snowfall clears out from the south during the latter half of the day as stronger west-to-northwest winds develop.

Monday 1^st September

Another early southwest change gives the Southern Lakes another top-up of powder to low levels before snowfall clears in the afternoon as winds start to bend northwest again.

The same front will only see a dusting of snow spill over the Main Divide onto Canterbury ski fields early in the morning, although Temple Basin will receive a more substantial top-up before skies clear for a sunny day. Gale west-to-northwest winds ease in the afternoon.

Tuesday 2^nd September

For the umpteenth time, a front will move northwards up the South Island early in the day, bringing another top-up of powder, which is expected to be larger for Southern Lakes than in Canterbury, while turning gale northwesters to the southwest. Skies clear up during the second half of the day as winds start to ease.

Extended Forecast

Looking further ahead into next week, we should see one more frontal system pass over the country before next weekend with another shot of snow on the cards. From then on, models aren’t well aligned, ranging from a whopping snowstorm over the weekend to more settled high pressure, so we’ll have to wait till closer to the time for a more reliable outlook.

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.