The Grasshopper – The Latest Snow Forecast

Australian Forecast – A Great End to a Great Season

Published early Friday, 3^rd October 2025

Snow came in as expected during the early hours on Thursday with resorts reporting a few cents had gathered by the time they opened. Another 5cm had stacked up on Perisher’s snow stake before the snow cleared Thursday night. It’s a great wee addition to the snowpack that will see us nicely through the last four days of the season. Mt Buller, Hotham and Falls Creek will have their grand finale’s on Sunday, Thredbo and Perisher have theirs on Monday, which is a public holiday for Labour Day.

This is the final forecast of the season, which starts off with windy, mucky conditions today in Victoria, a fine start in NSW, Friday, before high pressure moves in for a warm, sunny weekend, though winds strengthen for Closing Day in Victoria on Sunday. Closing Day in NSW will have a wet, blustery start as a front passes over early Monday morning, but skies will brighten again for the season’s final turns.

Friday 3^rd October

Cloudy, clagged-in conditions with snow flurries in western Victoria, spreading elsewhere in the afternoon while turning wet and drizzly about lower and mid slopes. Strong southwesterly winds in exposed areas back off a touch.

Saturday 4^th October

A ridge of high pressure brings nice, sunny skies with a little high cloud while southwest winds gradually swing northwest.

Sunday 5^th October

Closing Day for Mt Buller, Hotham and Falls Creek will be dry with increasing high cloud. However, warm northwest winds strengthen, so keep an eye on lift operations.

Monday 6^th October

Closing Day for Thredbo and Perisher will start with a little rain and strong northwest winds as a front passes over first thing in the morning. Behind the front, we’ll be left with partly cloudy skies with sunny spells, and lighter westerly breezes.

That’s all from me for today and the season, folks. It’s been an absolute pleasure sharing all the highs and lows with you. I’m taking off to hibernate in the back country, but I’ll be back sometime in December when the northern hemisphere season starts cranking. See you then!

Grasshopper

New Zealand Forecast – A Stormy End To The Season

Published early Friday, 3^rd October 2025

Well folks, we made it. This is the last forecast of the season. Cardrona and Mt Olympus close this Sunday, leaving The Remarkables and Mt Hutt to hold the fort down south until they also close next Sunday. Whakapapa and Turoa will remain open until the 26^th of October. So make the most of it while you can.

The riding continues to be exceptional in the Southern Lakes after the region scored a couple of 10-20cm powder dumps on Sunday and Tuesday night. Mt Hutt also received 5cm on Wednesday, while Mt Ruapehu had a dusting.

We’ll sneak in some nice weather for a great Friday session ahead of a Tasman Low crossing the country this weekend, bringing a mix of rain and snow. Colder southerlies arriving on the South Island late Saturday will give the Southern Lakes and Canterbury a top-up of dense snow through into Sunday.

Conditions deteriorate on Monday as strong, stormy westerlies once again arrive on Kiwi slopes, with fronts and gales expected to rattle ski fields throughout the week. However, the Southern Lakes in particular will pick up some nice shots of powder in the process.

Friday 3^rd October

A mostly clear, sunny morning up in the mountains, with low cloud filling the valleys and plains. Cloud then builds ahead of a Tasman Low, which spreads rain southwards over Mt Ruapehu in the afternoon as westerlies swing north. After dark, the rain spreads over the South Island, falling as snow to mid-levels or lower in the Southern Lakes. South Island ski fields will also have light breezes from the northerly quarter.

Saturday 4^th October

A bit of a soggy day as the Tasman low continues to cross the country, bringing periods of rain to the ski fields. However, dense snow will fall to around mid-levels for the Southern Lakes, where there’ll be a cooler southeast breeze. Winds will come from the northwest for Mt Ruapehu, and northeast for Canterbury.

In the evening, snow levels fall to base levels across the South Island as a colder southerly arrives. A little snow will also fall about mid- and upper-slopes of Mt Ruapehu before drying up overnight.

Sunday 5^th October

Snowfall across the South Island clears the Southern Lakes in the afternoon and Canterbury at night as the low pulls away to the east, allowing chilly southerly winds to start easing. The winds will be strong in Canterbury throughout day, which might affect lift operations. This low is likely to deliver a top-up of between 5 and 20cm from base to summit. Overall, not a bad one for Closing Day at Cardrona.

Showers of rain and upper-level snow kick up over Mt Ruapehu in the afternoon, then clear at night shortly after northwesterlies turn southerly.

Monday 6^th October

Not a bad start for the South Island, but conditions will quickly deteriorate as a front approaches from the west, likely affecting lift operations. Cloud increases and northwest winds rapidly strengthen, reaching severe-gale in exposed spots, before the front spreads rain northwards during the afternoon with heavy falls on the cards. A colder westerly change at night will see the rain transition to snow.

Mt Ruapehu will see a bit of cloud and a few light showers, falling as snow about mid- to upper-slopes, while westerly winds pick up.

Tuesday 7^th October

Snow showers over the Southern Lakes taper off, then clear in the afternoon with sunny skies, as brisk, chilly southwesterlies gradually swing northwest. A few more snow showers will show up at night.

Mt Hutt will score a fresh dusting of snow, thanks to a brief southwest change. Other than that, skies will be mostly clear, but winds will start strong from the northwest which may delay things.

Mt Ruapehu will cop a load of heavy rain before opening as the front passes over. Showers of snow and low-level rain will continue throughout the day with strong westerly winds.

Extended Forecast

Strong, unsettled westerlies will persist through to the end of next week, marring the season’s final days for The Remarkables and Mt Hutt, where lift operations will likely be affected. Gales will be the norm, with peaks in wind strength coming ahead of a couple of passing frontal systems due around late Thursday/Friday and next weekend. Expect a bout of rain followed by snow with both systems as they bring a dip in temperatures.

That’s all from me for today and the season, folks. It’s been an absolute pleasure sharing all the highs and lows with you. I’m taking off to hibernate in the back country, but I’ll be back sometime in December when the northern hemisphere season starts cranking. See you then!

Grasshopper

Weekly Japan Forecast – Unconventional Snow in Third Spring-Like Week

Written late Wednesday, 25^th February (Japan Standard Time)

After a couple of warm, spring-like weeks with low snowfall, things will stay the course for a third consecutive week. Somewhat of a come-down after the major high’s of an epic Japanuary and start to February.

Nevertheless, we can bask in warm, dry, sunny weather on Thursday and Friday, before a low passing in the Pacific brings an unconventional mix of rain and dense snow to Hokkaido this weekend. Cold northwesterlies on the backside of the low will thankfully dress it up with a little regular Japow.

Monday will be another fine day before another warm storm from the southwest brings a mix of rain and snow to the country sometime from Tuesday to Thursday, favouring either Northern Honshu or Hokkaido, or both, for the deepest totals. 

Thursday 26^th & Friday 27^th February

It was a wet, grotty ol’ day for Honshu yesterday after a low-pressure system from the southwest brought warm temperatures and widespread rain. Fortunately, the heaviest rain fell on the Pacific side, away from many of the major resorts, and the northern tip of the island picked up some dense snow early in the day.

Thursday and Friday will be warm and mostly dry as the low parks itself off the east coast of Honshu, directing an easterly flow over the country. There’ll be plenty of sunshine too, especially for central Honshu and Hokkaido, whereas some resorts in northern Honshu will be rather clagged-in with cloud and even a little drizzle at times, especially on Friday.

Humid easterlies will also spread cloud over Hokkaido early Friday, before snow pushes in from the south and east Friday night. This won’t be the usual light n’ fluffy Japow, but the dense, lower-quality stuff, with rain likely falling to high elevations in the western half of the island where a lot of the major resorts are.

Saturday 28^th February & Sunday 1^st March

The rain and dense snow will gradually clear Hokkaido on Saturday as the low and its humid easterly flow pull away to the north. Cold northwesterlies on the backside of the low will then rush in, bringing higher-quality Japow showers during the latter half of Saturday into early Sunday. There’ll only be up to 5-10cm at best, but it’ll be the first and last of its kind for a while.

The northwesterlies will also arrive on Honshu early Saturday, but down there, temperatures will have a long way to come down, so the showers that they bring will mostly be wet and will dry up that night, just as snow levels reach low altitudes. Only the mid and upper slopes of some resorts will receive a dusting of dense snow.

Remaining snow showers across the country clear Sunday morning for a fine day.

Monday 2^nd to Wednesday 4^th March

The weather stays fine and dry on Monday as another warm storm system approaches the country from the southwest. Models are still dicey on the details, but this storm should pass over the country sometime during Tuesday to Thursday.

Central Honshu will mostly cop a bunch of rain, but there’s a good chance the heaviest falls will be on the Pacific side again, and a little snow should fall on the storm’s backside.

Either Northern Honshu or Hokkaido, or both, could receive a decent amount of that same dense, un-Japow-like snow from this system, depending on how far north it reaches and where the warm-cold boundary sits. Keep an eye on it.

The next forecast is looking snowier at this point. Fingers crossed it holds, so I can include some bigger numbers this time next week.

That’s all from me today, folks. Have a great week, and I’ll see you here next Thursday for another weekly rundown of Japan’s highlights and snowlights.

Grasshopper

Weekly North America Forecast – Canada & Central-Southern Rockies Favoured as Storms Shift North to South

Written Wednesday, 25^th February (Pacific Standard Time)

After a slow January and early February, Western North America has been making a comeback, and there’s still plenty of juice left in the season. An active storm cycle over the last week has brought deep, widespread powder across the West, and BC and Alberta will continue to see good snowfall on Thursday and Friday before the cycle finally quiets down, leaving dry, settled conditions for a bit.

A weak storm will then set up across the central and southern US this weekend, bringing light snowfall to the Sierras and moderate falls to the Rockies, though snowlevels will be high. A cold front escaping out of the north on Wednesday will bring another shot of snow to Canadian resorts down to the Sierras and northern US Rockies.

Thursday 26^th & Friday 27^th February

Stormy west-to-southwesterlies in the north will bring moderate to heavy snowfall to BC and Alberta across Thursday and Friday. Most resorts will score around 15-35+ cm, with Revelstoke and interior BC in general favoured for the deepest totals. Temperatures won’t be particularly cold, so rain will affect the lower terrain, but they’ll trend colder on Friday, especially in Alberta and near the main divide of the Rockies.

The US will be largely dry and settled under high pressure during this period. However, light snowfall leftover from a previous storm will linger in Utah and Colorado into Thursday morning.

Saturday 29^th February & Sunday 1^st March

A weak storm will set up across the central US this weekend, bringing mostly light snowfall to the Sierras, Wyoming, and northern Utah and Colorado, though locally heavier falls are expected. Again, snowlevels will be high, and it’ll be wet on terrain below 2500-3000m. Between 5-20cm is expected with the Rockies favoured.

Further north, dry, settled weather will dominate. But a new storm in the far north will bring more snow to northern BC and the southern half of Alaska’s Panhandle. 

Monday 2^nd to Wednesday 4^th March

The storm across the central US will gradually shift eastward throughout this period, causing remaining light snowfall to dry up in the Sierras on Monday. More substantial, moderate snowfall in the central Rockies will then become confined to Colorado and New Mexico by Tuesday night, where there could be heavier falls for a brief period before things also dry up here on Wednesday.

Continuous storms in the far north will keep the powder tap open over northern BC and the Alaska Panhandle throughout this period. On Wednesday, a cold front will escape further southward to deliver a light-to-moderate shot of powder to resorts in southern Canada, the Cascades, Sierras and northern US Rockies.

That’s all from me today, folks. Have a great week, and I’ll see you back here next Thursday for another weekly rundown of North America’s highlights and snowlights.

Grasshopper