SAM Magazine—New South Wales, Australia, Sept. 1, 2026—The Blue Cow area, which is closed as of Sept. 1, at Perisher in Australia. (screenshot from Perisher webcam, Sept. 1)Winter in the Southern Hemisphere has served variable conditions to ski areas on different continents, with some operations closing early and others basking in powder. 

According to reports, Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology said the Australian Alps have seen the highest mean temperatures on record for June through August, and the continent’s alpine ski areas are feeling the heat. 

The Australian ski season typically goes into September, with some resorts operating into October. However, persistent warm weather coupled with rain events forced Selwyn Snow Resort in New South Wales to end its season Friday, Aug. 21, about two weeks earlier than 2025. 

“Following Thursday’s rain and the impact on our remaining snow cover, our Mountain Team worked tirelessly to give us every possible chance of reopening,” the ski area said on social media. “Unfortunately, the snowmaking temperatures we needed didn’t arrive, and the time has come to call it a season.”

Two days later in Victoria, Mt. Baw Baw’s final day was Aug. 23. During the strong 2025 winter, the ski area stayed open until Sept. 7.

Australia’s larger ski areas remain open but only with a fraction of their terrain. 

Thredbo was able to make some snow late last week both with traditional snow guns and all-weather technology. Today it had 11 of 53 trails open and 10 of 15 lifts. Downloading is required in one section of the resort. 

ABC South East New South Wales reported that the resort’s owner, hotel and entertainment corporation EVT, disclosed in a recent report that Thredbo’s independent valuation has dropped from $292 million to $143 million. The decline was attributed to “recent trading conditions during an ‘unseasonably warm’ winter start this June, as well as the upcoming capital investment needed for new chairlifts and snowmaking infrastructure.”

Perisher, one of three Australian ski areas owned by Vail Resorts, had 14 of 45 lifts and around two dozen runs open today. Monday was the final day of the season for the resort’s Blue Cow area, a terrain pod with more than 30 runs. Perisher’s snow report displays a season total of 62 cm, or about 2 feet, of snow. 

El Nino has largely been blamed for higher temperatures causing whatever moisture that comes through the Australian mountains to fall as rain. 

Ample snow at Ski Portillo, Chile. (photo from an Aug. 29 Ski Portillo Facebook post)Over in New Zealand, several of the country’s ski areas got a nice boost of snow in the past week. As of Monday, The Remarkables reported a seven-day total of 57 cm (about 22 in.), which accounts for more than a quarter of the resort’s 213 cm (about 84 in.) total season-to-date. Treble Cone is reporting 82 cm (about 32 in.) in the past week. Strong winds have kept lifts idle at many New Zealand ski areas over the past couple days, so there will be fresh snow to enjoy once it settles down. 

Big snow has been the story all winter long for Portillo in Chile. The resort’s incredible season continues with nearly 4 feet of snow in the past week, bringing its season total up to 367 inches. 

Just to the south, Mountain Capital Partners’ (MCP) Valle Nevado and La Parva have “some of the best conditions we’ve seen in years,” said MCP head of marketing Stacey Glaser. 

Valle Nevado is reporting 534 cm (210 in.) of snow on the season with about 10 inches in the past week. La Parva’s season total so far is 393 cm (about 155 in.).

With a strong snowpack, Valle Nevado, which was originally scheduled to close Oct. 4, has extended its season to Oct. 18. La Parva hasn't announced a closing date yet. However, the resort usually ends its season in late September or early October, according to Glaser, and the team there is currently evaluating a season extension to Oct. 18.