Australia's winter sports season has been plunged into crisis as unprecedented warmth grips its ski resorts. Record-shattering temperatures in New South Wales and Victoria have left skiers scratching their heads – and prompting urgent questions about the long-term viability of Australia's alpine industry. Maximum temperatures soared up to 12C above average, with several key locations experiencing their hottest July days on record.
The Bureau of Meteorology confirmed that Mount Hotham and Falls Creek in Victoria, and Thredbo in NSW, have all registered new July temperature highs. Mount Hotham, which has official records stretching back 36 years, saw the mercury hit a record 12C on Sunday, significantly surpassing its previous July record of 8.7C from 1994, in a month where the average daily maximum is typically zero. Similarly, Falls Creek recorded 13C on Sunday, eclipsing its 1992 record of 9.8C, against an average daily maximum of 1.2C. Other areas like Cabramurra and Mount William also saw new daily records.
Climate experts attribute this unusual warmth to a slow-moving high-pressure system, which brought clear skies and descending dry air, alongside a 'temperature inversion' where higher altitudes were warmer than areas closer to sea level. This atmospheric phenomenon, combined with the influence of the El Niño now established in the tropical Pacific, points towards a generally drier and warmer winter for Australia's alpine regions – a combination described by forecasters as particularly detrimental for natural snow accumulation. Night-time temperatures also saw record highs in locations such as Mount Buller and Mount Baw Baw.
Climate scientists have long warned that global heating will present significant challenges for ski resorts worldwide, and these recent events in Australia serve as a stark illustration of those predictions. Dr Andrew Watkins, a climate scientist at the Climate Council, noted the 'phenomenal' nature of decades-old temperature records being broken by several degrees. He expressed that while 'shocking,' such events are no longer surprising to climatologists, highlighting the growing impact of a warming climate on seasonal weather patterns.
The implications for the Australian ski industry are considerable, as resorts grapple with the immediate impact of reduced natural snow and the longer-term threat to their operational viability. Skiers at Mount Hotham and Falls Creek over the weekend reported seeing people skiing in T-shirts, underscoring the bizarre conditions. With warmer than usual temperatures expected to persist in ski areas for the immediate future, and only a slim chance of a snow flurry before temperatures are projected to climb again next week, the industry faces an ongoing battle against the changing climate.