IN BRIEF
- Snow depth has reached a record low with five ski resorts closing operations almost a month early.
- The unusually warm winter is believed to be the cause of the short season.
Australian ski resorts are being forced to close a month early due to record-low snow depth.
Snowy Mountain's Spencers Creek hit a historic Australian low, recording a snow depth of 31.2 centimetres on 3 September.
The peak depth was 94.5cm on 13 August — the third lowest depth recorded in the region since 1954.
On average, peak depth is recorded in the first weeks of September. From the 1950s to the 1970s, the average depth in the first week of September was just over 180 centimetres — compared to the 120cm average from 2020 to 2025.
Deep Creek and Three Mile Dam also recorded record-low snow depths in 2026.
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Deep Creek registered record-high snow depths of over 200cm in 1964 and 1981, while Three Mile Dam had record-highs just over 100cm in 1956 and 1995.
The 2026 ski season was the shortest on record, with five of Australia's ski resorts already shutting the slopes.Victoria's Mount Baw Baw and Selwyn Snow Resort in NSW closed operations before the end of August — with Mt Hotham, Falls Creek and Charlotte Pass closing over the weekend.
Only three of the eight mainland ski resorts in Australia remain open — Perisher, Thredbo and Mount Buller.
Ski season's premature end can be chalked up to the winter warmth and a lack of snow-bearing cold fronts.
The unusual winter warmth can be attributed to a multitude of weather behaviours, including El Niño, above-average sea surface temperatures, limited cold air in frontal systems and the ongoing impacts of climate change.
Australian Climate Council councillor and meteorologist Dr Andrew Watkins told SBS News in May it would be a warm winter.
"It's a winter of grabbing the skis when you can," he predicted.
He said Spring would come early with "clearer skies and more frosts".
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