The Grasshopper – The Latest Snow Forecast

Australian Forecast – Warm for the Next Wee While as Slow Start to Winter Continues

Published early Friday, 12^th June 2026

Our thin, early-season snow cover took a battering from the rain on Wednesday, causing some resorts to either flip off the switch on some of their runs or go on hold altogether. It’s been a slow start by any measure, and we can’t expect any relief over the next seven days, with no snow, warm temps and limited snowmaking. Plus, we’ll cop another load of rain on Saturday and Saturday night. The next sign of snowfall is late next week.

Friday 12^th June

A nice, fine day with northwest winds, which will be light in New South Wales and stronger in Victoria.

Saturday 13^th June

Early is best as things will get uglier throughout the day as a front approaches. Drizzle develops in the morning, then turns to rain in the afternoon. The heaviest rain will be at night as the front passes over. Strong gusty northwesterlies.

Sunday 14^th June

The rain clears before breaky time, and then the cloud will eventually clear to a sunny day as a westerly breeze dies away.

Monday 15^th June

Another sunny day as warm northwest winds pick up. There’ll be some light rain or drizzle after dark, mostly on the Victorian side.

Tuesday 16^th June

Skies will stay mostly sunny for New South Wales, while there’ll be a bit of cloud in Victoria and a spot of early drizzle. Northwest winds will also be stronger in Victoria

Extended Forecast

Later next week, another storm system is forecast to hit the Aussie Alps around Thursday to Friday, the 18^th to 19^thJune. The storm will start out wet and warm, with a bout of rain, and then turn colder over the following few days with possible snow showers. At this stage, it doesn’t look like a lot of snow, but it’s a start, and we could have some snowmaking thrown in.

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 weekend, and I’ll see you back here on Monday.

Grasshopper

New Zealand Forecast –  Nice for Fri & Sat, Snow for Canterbury on Monday

Published early Friday, 12^th June 2026

Well, winter has been slow off the mark this year, and despite their best efforts, The Remarkables has rescheduled its Opening Day for Saturday the 20^th June. Cardrona has also rescheduled for that day, and Mt Hutt is hoping things will improve for a potential opening sometime in the next 7-10 days. Coronet Peak already has some learner slopes open thanks to its Snow Factory and is still on track for a second opening, with increased hours and facilities.

We’ll have mostly fine weather for the next couple of days on the heels of a damp weak front. Then, through the latter half of Saturday, a front will cross the Southern Lakes, bringing mostly just rain and possibly a little snow up high. As the front continues up Canterbury on Monday, cold southerly winds get into the mix, and we’ll see snow falling to low levels, leaving around 15-25cm of pure white gold on ski fields there.

Friday 12^th June

A weak front that passed over the Southern Lakes during the night continues northwards over Canterbury during the morning, bringing cloud and a light shower or two. Skies will clear in the afternoon, but temperatures will be marginal for making snow overnight.

Meanwhile, down in the Southern Lakes, any leftover cloud will clear in the morning for a nice, sunny day. The snow guns will also get a good run at night with chilly temps.

Saturday 13^th June

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

Sunday 14^th June

Day 2 of the season for Coronet Peak will see rain developing over the Southern Lakes in the afternoon as a more active front from the west passes over. A little bit of snow may fall above about 1900m at first, but it’ll all quickly turn to rain. The rain clears overnight as the front ships off to the north. Winds from the northwest will be strong in exposed areas.

Canterbury will stay clear and dry, but northwest winds will be strong and chew up much of the man-made snow.

Monday 15^th June

The front crosses Canterbury during the morning. Rain will quickly turn to snow as cold air from the south floods in. We’ll see good snowfall through the afternoon, while snow levels continue to drop, possibly eventually reaching as low as 700m before clearing at night. Totals of around 15-25cm are expected for this event, which will go a fair way toward getting things rolling.

The Southern Lakes largely miss out on the snowfall event, but cold southerly breezes may bring a few light flurries and have the snow guns cranking.

Tuesday 16^th June

A nice fine day with a chilly start for South Island ski fields on the heels of the cold front, but mild west-to-northwest winds will quickly warm things up.

Extended Forecast

Another cold front is picked to cross the South Island on Wednesday, the 17^th of June. This one is expected to weaken as it tracks northwards, so Canterbury may only receive a dusting at best, while the Southern Lakes is in line for a small shot of snow. Conditions for making snow will be great for a couple of days.

After that, a shot of snow is on the cards from a storm rolling over the country between Friday, the 19^th, to Sunday, the 21^st June. It’s still a wee way off, and could lead to rougher conditions for rescheduled Opening Days.

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