The Grasshopper – The Latest Snow Forecast

Australian Forecast – Bluebird Days Make Way for a Timely Boost to the Snowpack

Published early Friday, 10^th July 2026

Friday will be the last of this run of stunning weather we’ve had since last week’s storm transformed the Australian Alps with 20-45cm of snow. The snow guns have been firing on all cylinders most nights and early mornings, so more lifts have opened this week but with school holidays at their peak, the open terrain is bursting at the seams.

The high-pressure system, which brought a record-breaking pressure reading of 1044.5 hPa to Aussie shores earlier this week, drifts into the Tasman Sea, allowing the weather to turn more active this weekend, with a series of cold fronts moving in starting Saturday night.

We’ll cop some low- to mid-level rain with that initial front, but a cold westerly flow afterwards will bring snow showers from Sunday through Tuesday, although it’ll likely turn wet about the lower slopes at times on Monday and Tuesday.

Storm totals are likely to range from 15cm to a healthy 40cm, with the upper slopes above 1700 metres receiving significantly more than the lower slopes due to fluctuating snow levels. This will provide the timely boost we need to take the season up another gear.

Friday 10^th July

Another fine day, with some scraps of high cloud and a developing light northerly breeze. Cold snow-making temps early morning and overnight for New South Wales, but they’ll be marginal in Victoria.

Saturday 11^th July

Northwest winds strengthen as a cold front approaches from the west, with showers building over Victoria from the morning and New South Wales from the afternoon, falling as snow to around 1700m.

The cold front crosses overnight, bringing a period of heavier snowfall to mid and upper slopes before snow levels quickly drop below base levels and start to ease before dawn Sunday.

Sunday 12^th July

A day for the storm riders with snow showers throughout the day, reaching as low as 900-1000m, becoming more persistent in the evening as snow levels start to lift. Strong, cold westerly winds with blizzard conditions.

Monday 13^th July

Showers continue, falling as snow on mid and upper slopes with snow levels hovering around the 1600-1700m mark. Strong, chilly northwest winds, with blizzard conditions.

Tuesday 14^th July

Snow showers again throughout the day as snow levels bounce between 1500-1700m or less, with strong, gusty west-to-northwest winds. The snow showers clear at night as a colder, drier southwesterly wind change arrives.

Extended Forecast

After another settled spell, the next storm window opens up from Sunday or Monday, the 19^th or 20^th of July. It’s likely we’ll cop the usual load of prefrontal rain before a cold change brings snow showers over the following few days, giving the slopes another top-up.

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

Grasshopper

New Zealand Forecast –  Last Dregs of the Storm Clear for a Magical Matariki Weekend

Published early Friday, 10^th July 2026

The last dregs of this week’s storm clear up today, Friday, as ski fields tally up final storm totals and dig out their front doors and equipment. Most of this work has already been completed in the Southern Lakes, where the tally sits at 30-45cm after an extra 10-15cm fell on Wednesday.

However, it’s still an ongoing process in Canterbury, which bore the brunt of the storm, with storm tallies between 70 and 120 cm being reported by Thursday morning, with another 24 hours of snowfall yet to be added. Mt Hutt reported a whopping 97cm, and the whole of Canterbury has been completely transformed, with the smaller club fields scrambling to open as soon as possible to make the most of the best early-season conditions in a long while.

Mt Ruapehu is also yet to give final storm tallies after snow arrived there Wednesday night. We were expecting 10-30+ cm by the time the storm clears out on Friday.

This weekend is a long one, with Friday being a public holiday for Matariki, the Māori New Year. With a tonne of fresh powder and fine, sunny weather settling over the country, it’ll be one you won’t want to miss out on. Storms return next week with a couple of fronts crossing the country late Monday and Tuesday, bringing shots of snow mainly to mid and upper slopes.

Friday 10^th July

Friday is a public holiday for Matariki, the Māori New Year, and it will be a beauty for the Southern Lakes with clear, sunny skies and a light, chilly southerly breeze.

A massive powder day for Canterbury that you won’t want to miss. Cloud over Mt Hutt and the Craigieburn Range ski fields gradually clears for a sunny afternoon, but it’ll remain cloudy in the north with light flurries lingering into the afternoon. Cold southerly breeze.

Light snowfall on Mt Ruapehu gradually clears as a stiff, cold southeast wind eases, and skies will brighten in the afternoon as the cloud cover thins.

Saturday 11^th July

A day you won’t want to miss with clear, sunny skies across South Island ski fields, apart from some morning cloud in north Canterbury. Light southerly breezes die out.

Mt Ruapehu will remain partly cloudy with a chilly southeast breeze.

Sunday 12^th July

Another nice, sunny day for South Island ski fields with a northwest breeze developing.

The best day of the season so far for Mt Ruapehu, with a fresh layer of snow, clear skies and little to no wind.

Monday 13^th July

Cloud increases over the South Island as a front approaches from the west, and northwest winds strengthen, especially in Canterbury, where winds will rise to a strong gale. The front will bring a shot of around 2-5cm of snow as it crosses after dark, but it could be wet and sleety about the lower slopes, especially in Canterbury. However, Treble Cone should pick up 10-15cm being closer to the Main Divide, and will likely see snow showers start up earlier in the afternoon.

Mt Ruapehu starts out fine, but cloud will increase in the afternoon as northerly winds pick up.

Tuesday 14^th July

South Island ski fields will start the day fine, but northwest wind will become strong once again as another front approaches from the west, especially in Canterbury. The front crosses the Southern Lakes in the afternoon and evening, bringing another shot of snow to mid and upper slopes but rain to lower slopes. It’ll be a similar story in Canterbury when the front crosses the region at night, but the snow/rain will be much lighter, with Mt Hutt likely staying dry.

A front passes over Mt Ruapehu during the morning hours, bringing a shot of around 5-15cm of snow, but it’ll likely fall as rain at base level. Behind the front, strong northerlies change to a moderate westerly with lighter, occasional showers of mid-upper level snow and low-level rain.

Extended Forecast

The storm window remains open until late next week. However, models aren’t well aligned on the strength of passing storm systems, with ski fields receiving anywhere from a light dusting to a sizable powder dump. High pressure will then likely build sometime from next weekend, the 18^th and 19^th, for a settled spell before the next storm window opens up later in the month.

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

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