Whakapapa and Turoa ski areas on Mt Ruapehu in New Zealand are the first ski areas in the southern hemisphere to report 3 metre (10 feet) bases this season.
The southern hemisphere’s 2018 ski season started in June for most areas and has a little over a month to run, although the mount Ruapehu areas are often the last to close in late October or even ‘Snowvember’.
Of the four major southern hemisphere ski nations Australia seems to have had the stand out winter so far with several areas reporting their best winter for 14 years, some extending their seasons and reporting fresh snowfall so far every week of the season.
The Andes seems to have had a below par winter on the whole and Portillo in Chile, one of the continent’s best known areas, currently reports just a 20-45cm base.
In New Zealand it has been more of a mixed picture with at least one ski area struggling to open for lack of snow whilst most have adequate to good cover and the Ruapehu resorts a very healthy base depth indeed.
