A week-long snow storm (if forecasts prove correct) is just getting underway in Australia.
The country’s ski areas have reported up to 25cm of snowfall in the first 24 hours of the snowfall, which is due to continue through to the start of June – meteorological winter in the southern hemisphere – on June 1st.
Up to 70cm (2 feet, 4 inches) is expected to fall in total due to a front moving up from Antarctica.
It looks to be the perfect start to the 2019 ski season for Australia where resorts are due to open over the weekend of 7 – 10 June in just under a fortnight’s time, a long holiday weekend for much of the country in celebration of the Queen’s birthday.
Most Australian resorts open that weekend regardless of whether there’s snow cover or not.
It seems likely, given the snow so far, the forecast and the good snowmaking conditions, that some Aussie resorts may open sooner to claim first snow for the country and possibly the entire southern hemisphere.
The first ski areas south of the equator planning to open for the 2019 season are in New Zealand where at least two areas are aiming to open some terrain this Saturday, June 1st.
However the Andes mountain in South America are also due to be hit by heavy snow this week too, with up to 90cm (three feet) of snowfall forecast by next weekend there, so it is possible areas could open early for the season there too.
