The Grasshopper – The Latest Snow Forecast

Australian Forecast – A Dip in Conditions This Week, But Potential Snow & Cold Later Next Week

Published early Wednesday, 10^th June 2026

It was a cracker of a long Opening Weekend with fantastic weather and one or two lifts running at the resorts to warm up the legs for the season. I hope you made the most of it, as our early-season snowpack started a week-long decline yesterday, Tuesday, with warm, humid northerlies building through the day.

The coming week will bring a mix of warm, wet or dry weather as a couple of fronts pass over on Wednesday and Saturday, followed by high-pressure cells. The snowpack will gradually shrink, and resorts will struggle to find an opportunity to make snow. However, the forecast for later next week looks much more promising, with potential snow and cold temperatures on the cards.

Wednesday 10^th June

Not the nicest of days with rain for much of it alongside strong, gusty northerly winds as a front slips underneath us. Most of the rain will come down during the first half of the day, then gradually ease and clear during the second half as winds also back off.

Thursday 11^th June

Any morning cloud clears to a fine, sunny day with north-to-northwest breezes. However, cloud will linger in western Victoria till around midday, with a light shower or two possible for Mt Buller and Mt Baw Baw.

Friday 12^th June

A nice, fine day, with some high cloud, especially in Victoria where northwest winds will be a touch stronger.

Saturday 13^th June

A bit of a grotty one with drizzle developing in the morning before gradually turning to rain as a front moves eastwards over the Aussie Alps during the second half of the day. Strong gusty northwesterlies will back off during the afternoon.

Sunday 14^th June

The rain clears, and clouds break up by breaky time, leaving a mostly sunny day with a northwest breeze.

Extended Forecast

Next week, fine, dry weather will continue for Monday, the 15^th, before a stronger storm hits Tuesday, the 16^th. The storm will start out wet and warm, with potentially heavy rain on Wednesday, the 17^th, but is expected to turn cold around Thursday, the 18^th, with a shot of snow followed by good snowmaking temperatures through the end of the week. It’s a promising forecast, so cross your boots and poles that it’s not a fizzer.

That’s all from me today, folks. I’m sending out these forecasts every Monday, Wednesday and Friday throughout the season, and during July and August I’ll fire one out on Sundays too. Have a great couple of days, and I’ll see you back here on Friday.

Grasshopper

New Zealand Forecast –  Dry, Sunny Weather Prevails with a Few More Nights of Snowmaking, Potential Snow on the Horizon

Published early Wednesday, 10^th June 2026

The front that came through on Monday didn’t drop any snow, but did bring freezing temperatures, which have allowed the snow guns to get a good, long run in. Ski fields have been doing all they can to build something for opening day. Despite the effort, Mother Nature hasn’t played ball and Mt Hutt and Cardrona have already announced they will delay opening for at least a week until conditions improve. Coronet Peak and The Remarkables are hoping to have learner slopes open on a bed of man-made snow this Saturday, although final announcements will be made on Thursday.

Unfortunately, no new snow is on the forecast until next week, as high pressure dominates our synoptic charts until then, allowing only weak, rain-producing fronts through late Thursday/early Friday and again late Sunday. Apart from that, dry, sunny weather prevails, which will be great for a possible opening at Coronet Peak and The Remarkables this weekend, and ski fields should get a few more nights of snowmaking in before the week is done.

Wednesday 10^th June

Skies stay dry and crystal clear over the South Island as high pressure dominates. It’ll be a warmer day as these chilly southwesterlies ease, but it should still get cold enough for some snowmaking overnight.

Thursday 11^th June

Another fine day with developing northwesterly winds as the ridge of high pressure drifts north. Clouds build over the southern Lakes later in the day, before some light rain there at night as a weak front passes over. Only the tops will get a sprinkling of snow from this, while the snow guns will have a night off. However, the snow guns in Canterbury should get another run overnight.

Friday 12^th June

The weak front continues north over Canterbury during the morning, bringing cloud, a light shower or two and south-to-southwest breezes. The cloud will clear later, so it should get cold enough for making snow overnight as Mt Hutt inches towards an opening in the near future.

Meanwhile, down in the Southern Lakes, skies will clear in the morning for a sunny day, and the snow guns will also get a good run at night with chilly temps.

Saturday 13^th June

Scheduled Opening Day at The Remarkables and Coronet Peak will be mint, as a ridge of high pressure moving up the country brings clear, sunny skies and northwest breezes to the South Island. There’ll likely be more snowmaking overnight for the Southern Lakes, thanks to chilly temps there.

Sunday 14^th June

It won’t be too bad a day for Day 2 of the season at Coronet Peak and The Remarkables as cloud and northwesterly winds gradually build over the South Island ahead of a front approaching from the west.

The front crosses the Southern Lakes in the evening or at night, with a period of rain, then moves into Canterbury overnight, with only light showers expected. At this stage, no snow is expected to fall with this front.

Extended Forecast

Next week, fine, settled weather is lined up for Monday, the 15^th, before another front skips over the South Island on Tuesday or Wednesday, the 16^th and 17^th. It’s worth keeping an eye on this one as there’s still a chance we’ll score some snow out of it, but my confidence in that is shrinking.

There is also a chance of cold, unsettled weather kicking up later next week, from about Friday or Saturday, the 19^th and 20^th of June, with potentially good snowfall for the Southern Lakes alongside good snowmaking conditions. Fingers crossed this plays out as it’ll be just what we need to get the season humming.

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

Grasshopper

Weekly Japan Forecast – A Better Week Ahead With More Snow & Colder Temps

Written late Wednesday, 4^th March (Japan Standard Time)

Well folks, this will be my final forecast for the 2025–2026 Japanese snow season. It’s been a solid month of limited snowfall and unseasonably warm temperatures across Japan, with the past seven days in particular delivering very little fresh snow. After an epic January and early February, the Japow machine has largely switched off, and we’ve seen considerable snow loss as a result.

However, the next seven days look far more promising, with a few decent rounds of powder and cold temps on the way. Thursday, Sunday and Tuesday are shaping up as the standout days, with the bulk of the snowfall expected then. There are still a few weeks left in the season, and spring skiing brings warmer temperatures, longer days and more sunshine. It’s my personal favourite, so get amongst it! 

Thursday 5^th & Friday 6^th March

Thursday will be a powder day of sorts as remaining snowfall across the country gradually dries up. This comes after a storm from the southwest arrived late Tuesday, bringing warm temperatures and rain at first. Temperatures were quick to drop over Northern Honshu and Hokkaido, so there was fresh snow in this Wednesday morning’s reports. However, it was not your usual “lake-effect” Japow; it was denser, maritime snow coming off the Pacific Ocean, akin to what we get in Australia and NZ. As I put pen to paper, snow levels over Central Honshu are also on their way down from the mid-slopes and will get nice and low this Wednesday night.

Friday will stay mostly dry, but there’ll be some isolated flurries lingering on Hokkaido. Temperatures will rocket back up on Honshu as warm southerlies develop ahead of the next storm approaching from the west in the Sea of Japan. Rain from this storm spreads across the country Friday night, falling as snow to fairly low levels on Hokkaido, where temperatures will be much colder.

Saturday 7^th February & Sunday 8^th March

The storm will continue over the country throughout Saturday and Sunday morning, then gradually wind down during the latter half of Sunday. Snow levels about the mid-to-upper slopes of Honshu will gradually lower to base levels by late Saturday, while on Hokkaido, they’ll have to climb over a hill before a period of heavy snowfall to near sea level early Sunday.

Snowfall totals for the weekend are expected to be around 20-50+ cm, with resorts in Niigata and southwest Hokkaido favoured for the deepest totals.

Monday 9^th to Wednesday 11^th March

Leftover snow showers over northern Honshu will clear up Monday morning, but will persist on Hokkaido.

Central Honshu will stay dry on Monday, but another low-pressure system passing on the Pacific side will pull in a fresh surge of cold air from Monday night, bringing another round of snow for a 10-30+ cm powder day on Tuesday. The passing low will also bring a dusting to northern Honshu and Hokkaido on Tuesday.

A ridge of high pressure will then bring dry, settled weather next Wednesday.

That’s all from me today, and for the season. It’s been a real pleasure bringing you all the snowlights of the 2025-2026 season, which will go down in the history books as having one of the best runs of powder days from Jan through early Feb. See you in June when the Aussie and Kiwi seasons get underway.

Grasshopper

Weekly North America Forecast – Temps Fluctuate as Storms Favour the North

Written Wednesday, 5^th March (Pacific Standard Time)

Well, guys and gals, this will be my final forecast for the 2025-2026 North American snow season. It’s been a funny ol’ season that saw some Canadian resorts cranking through December with near-endless snowfall, followed by a long, warm, dry spell, which US resorts in particular suffered from as high-pressure took over the West, while the East went into a storm-laden deep freeze.

Storms returned to the West mid Feb, and resorts have had a great few weeks as snowpacks have bounced back. At present, snowpacks in the northern half of the Rockies, from Canada and Alberta down to Wyoming and Idaho, are sitting at or above their long-term median, highlighting where conditions have been the best this season.

Storms will once again favour the north in the upcoming seven-day period, although snow quality and snow levels will fluctuate as warm and cold airmasses are dragged in with each storm system. The central and northern US Rockies will also receive a nice round of powder at the start of this period (Thursday and Friday), before settled high pressure then takes hold over the central and southern US.

Thursday 5^th & Friday 6^th March

A storm that arrived in the northwest on Wednesday will continue tracking southeast through the US Rockies on Thursday before exiting late Friday. The storm, which started wet and warm, will see snow levels drop as a cold front now leads the charge. Snowfall will favour northern Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Utah on Thursday and then Colorado on Friday. Totals will mostly range between 15-40cm in the central and northern US Rockies, with 40-50+cm possible in the most exposed terrain, particularly in Montana.

Leftover snow showers will give BC and the Cascades a further dusting before the storm exits the area on Thursday. But a new storm entering the northwest from late Thursday through Friday will bring a mix of rain and dense snow as a warm, humid air flows in from the Pacific. The bulk of this will fall in northern BC, with only light falls in southern BC, where most resorts are located.

Having received a few showers on Wednesday, Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada will stay dry for Thursday and Friday, while Arizona and New Mexico will only get a light dusting in their northern parts.

Saturday 7^th & Sunday 8^th March

This weekend, all the action will take place in the north. The warm storm that arrives here on Friday will become colder on Sunday as a cold front pushes down from the north. Once the cold front hits, snow levels will drop, and snow quality will improve.

Interior BC, the northern Cascades, and to a lesser extent, Alberta, will be favoured for the biggest accumulations of this quality powder during the latter half of Sunday, while Idaho, Montana and Wyoming will also see snow developing ahead of the cold front on the warm side of the storm.

Monday 9^th to Wednesday 11^th March

Most of the action continues in the north during this period, with the cold front pushing down into southern Idaho and Wyoming during Monday, where it’ll stall for a while. Areas north of this will be treated to light-to-moderate falls of smoky powder on Monday and Tuesday.

But on Wednesday, temperatures and snow levels will rocket up as a new, warmer storm enters the fray, bringing heavy low-to-mid-level rain and upper-level snow. The northern Cascades, in particular, are expected to get nailed. Thankfully, this injection of warm, humid air will be short-lived, and by the end of the day (Wednesday), temperatures will be hastily making their way down.

In the south, a weaker storm system will track over Arizona and New Mexico on Monday and Tuesday. Temperatures will be warm, so it’ll be a mix of rain and snow for resorts there. If we’re lucky, some resorts could see moderate accumulations on their upper slopes.

That’s all from me today, and for the season. It’s been a blast and a pleasure being a part of it all. See you all in June when the Aussie and Kiwi seasons get underway.

Grasshopper