Australian ski resorts end winter season up to a month early after record heat

The short version

• Seven ski resorts across Victoria, New South Wales, and Tasmania have closed or announced plans to halt lift operations up to a month before the traditional early-October season end.
• The early closures follow the hottest winter on record for Victoria, New South Wales, and Tasmania, driven by a strong El Niño combined with global heating.
• While most regional resorts are shuttering operations, New South Wales resorts Perisher and Thredbo remain open.

Key facts

• Seven alpine resorts across Victoria, New South Wales, and Tasmania have closed or scheduled lift closures up to a month earlier than their standard early-October target.[The Guardian]
• Mount Baw Baw, Selwyn, and Ben Lomond have already shut down, while Mount Buller, Mount Hotham, Falls Creek, and Charlotte Pass announced their seasons would conclude over the weekend.[The Guardian]
• Perisher and Thredbo in New South Wales remain open for winter operations.[The Guardian]
• New South Wales, Tasmania, and Victoria all registered their warmest winters on record, with Falls Creek and Mount Hotham recording their wettest winters in over 30 years alongside record-breaking average temperatures.[The Guardian]
• Meteorologists and climate scientists attributed the season's conditions to a developing strong El Niño combined with broader global climate warming, which caused precipitation to fall as rain rather than snow.[The Guardian]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.

• Australian ski resorts to close up to a month early due to global heating and El NiñoThe Guardian - World