
Mt Hutt
Ski 365 hectares at the South Island's highest point, with 683m of vertical, 4m of annual snow and views to the Pacific.
Mt Hutt is Canterbury's highest ski area and the South Island's highest lifted point at 2,086m, rising sharply from the Canterbury Plains 35 minutes west of the country town of Methven. The resort spans 365 hectares with a 683m vertical drop — one of the longest in the South Island — across 26 runs graded 25% beginner, 50% intermediate and 25% advanced. On a clear day, the summit panorama stretches from the Pacific Ocean to the east across the patchwork of Canterbury farmland, to the peaks of the Southern Alps in the west.
The terrain ranges from the wide, sweeping groomers of Broadway — the resort's signature cruising run — to the chutes and steeps of The Towers and the leg-burning descent of Virgin Mile. Three progressive terrain parks cater to freestyle skiers at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels. The mountain's combination of altitude, exposure and consistent snowfall has earned it the title of New Zealand's Best Ski Resort at the World Ski Awards for ten consecutive years from 2015 to 2024.
Mt Hutt has long been a training ground for international race teams drawn by its reliable snow, varied pitch and extensive groomed terrain. The resort's exposed ridgeline position means it catches weather systems from multiple directions, delivering an average of 4 metres of natural snowfall per season — among the highest of any commercial ski area in the South Island.
The resort is operated by NZSki alongside Coronet Peak and The Remarkables, with all three mountains accessible on the 3 Peak Season Pass and the Superpass day ticket. Mt Hutt is also included on the Ikon Pass, and the Methven Kids 4 Free programme — covering free lift passes, accommodation, meals and transport for children aged ten and under — makes it one of New Zealand's strongest family-skiing propositions.
Mt Hutt spreads 26 runs across 902 acres skiable of terrain. It leans intermediate at 50%, with 7 beginner runs to find your feet and 7 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
Mt Hutt consistently operates one of the longest seasons in the South Island, with the 2026 season running from 12 June to 11 October. The resort's high altitude — base at 1,403m and summit at 2,086m — combined with average annual snowfall of 4 metres and 42 hectares of snowmaking means conditions hold from early winter well into spring.
The mountain's exposed position on the eastern edge of the Southern Alps makes it one of the first resorts to intercept weather systems crossing from the Tasman Sea, and the altitude ensures precipitation falls as snow when lower-elevation fields are getting rain. Snow quality tends to be drier and more consistent than at the coastal-influenced resorts further south.
Peak conditions typically run from late July through September, with reliable base depths and consistent grooming across all main trails. First Tracks sessions are available on weekends from 8–9am, offering exclusive early access on the summit chairlift for freshly groomed corduroy before the mountain opens to the public at 9am.
Spring skiing through September and into early October delivers longer days, softer snow and thinner crowds. The Canterbury Plains views take on a particular clarity in spring, and the base-area deck becomes a popular spot for lunch in the sun — some visitors even set up barbecues in the car park, continuing a long-standing local tradition.
Mt Hutt sits 26km west of Methven in the Canterbury region, accessed via a mountain road that climbs from the plains to the base area at 1,610m in approximately 35 minutes. The access road is unsealed on the upper section and chains may be required for two-wheel-drive vehicles after snowfall; chain hire is available in limited supply at the base of the road. A free shuttle service operates between overflow car parks and the base building on busy days.
Methven — a small farming town with a population of around 1,600 — serves as the base for the resort, with a range of accommodation, restaurants and hire shops geared to the ski season. Daily bus services run from Methven to the mountain via Methven Travel, and Snowman Shuttles provide a direct service from Christchurch for day-trippers and those without transport.
Christchurch Airport is the nearest major gateway, approximately 90 minutes to the east, with domestic flights from across New Zealand and direct international services from Australia, Singapore and Fiji. The drive from Christchurch follows State Highway 77 through the plains — flat, straightforward and well maintained. Ashburton, the nearest larger town, sits roughly 55 minutes away.
Mt Hutt has no on-mountain accommodation, but the Methven Kids 4 Free deal — unique in New Zealand skiing — provides free accommodation, meals, lift passes and return mountain transport for children aged ten and under when accompanied by a paying adult, making the resort and its base town a particularly strong package for families travelling from Christchurch or further afield.
Hotels and lodges near Mt Hutt, powered by Stay22.

Mount Buller closes out its 2026 season this Sunday, joining Falls Creek, Hotham and Charlotte Pass in a cluster of closures landing almost simultaneously and roughly a month ahead of schedule. The culprit is stark: Spencers Creek's benchmark snow depth hit 31.2cm on 3 September, just 18% of the 73-year average and an all-time low for this point in the season. Six of Victoria and NSW's best-known resorts will have shut their lifts early within a span of about two and a half weeks.

Tremblant has confirmed a major expansion of its Quebec ski area, with a new Timber Summit sector adding 62 acres of terrain, eight trails and a high-speed quad chairlift for winter 2027/28. It's part of a CAD 42.5 million investment that also includes a new beginner learning zone at Versant Soleil opening this coming season. The project has grown considerably since it was first announced back in 2020, when it carried a far smaller budget and an opening date that never eventuated.

We knew when the Bird Bath Pond Skim showed up on Hotham's Instagram that the season was on its way out. It's been a rough one - I only managed two days on snow all year, at Falls Creek - and now Baw Baw, Selwyn and Hotham have all called it, possibly the worst Australian season I've seen in a decade. Hotham's last day of lift operations is Sunday, 6 September, with a Retro Day, Father's Day après and closing sales before the lifts stop turning for good.

Thredbo Alpine Resort has confirmed plans to replace its 37-year-old Gunbarrel quad chairlift with a new six-seat Doppelmayr D-Line, targeting winter 2028. The AUD 35 million project will keep travel time roughly the same but lift capacity from 2,800 to 3,000 skiers per hour. It's part of a broader investment push that also includes doubled snowmaking capacity at Friday Flat for 2027, with the ageing Kosciuszko Express now flagged as the resort's next major lift replacement after Gunbarrel.

An aerial tram carrying around fifty passengers struck the boom of a construction crane on the route to Pic Blanc at Alpe d'Huez on Wednesday morning, injuring 23 people, three seriously. The cabin tipped on impact before the operator reversed it to right the car. Most of the injured were treated on site, with five taken to hospital in Grenoble, including a pregnant woman assessed as a precaution.

A deadly flood on the Nepal-China border, a decade-old tragedy on Italy's Marmolada, and an unstable glacier right now above a village near Zermatt - three very different mountain ranges, the same underlying story. Warming ice is destabilising terrain that was considered settled for generations, and the results range from catastrophic floods to slow-motion monitoring situations that could go either way.

Tyrol's highest ski area is gearing up to open a full month ahead of most of the Alps. The Pitztal Glacier is scheduled to start its 2026/27 season on Saturday 26 September, running through to 2 May 2027, with the lower-altitude Rifflsee area following in December. High-altitude terrain up to 3,440 metres gives the glacier a head start on snow, though as always, the actual opening extent will depend on how September's weather plays out. Early online ski pass bookings can save up to 30%.

A hanging glacier above the Swiss village of Randa, just south of Zermatt, has been shedding large chunks of ice for weeks, with authorities warning more break-offs are likely. A danger zone has been closed off since June, though officials say the village's 479 residents aren't at risk. It's a familiar pattern for this glacier - it's done this before, in 1819, 1972 and 1973 - but a reminder of how closely Alpine authorities now watch terrain once considered stable.
Scroll for the full outlook · Open-Meteo
Days 1–7
14cm
Days 8–14
6.3cm
Live snow from the resort feed; forecast from Open-Meteo, via Supabase.
Our snow reports measure snowfall in centimeters over multiple time windows — last 24 hours, last 7 days, and the season total. Base depth reflects accumulation at the 1403m base area, while summit depth captures conditions 683m higher at 2086m, where snow typically stays colder and lingers longer. Imperial conversions are shown alongside for convenience.
Current weather conditions affect snow quality. Cold temperatures with low wind typically preserve snow quality, while warm temperatures or rain can impact conditions negatively — something worth watching closely at Mt Hutt's 1403m base elevation, where temperatures run milder than the summit.
Snowfall and depth figures for Mt Hutt come from official mountain sources; weather and outlook data comes from independent forecasting services. The mountain is served by 5 lifts, including a 8-person chairlift and a quad chairlift.
The biggest swings usually happen right after a storm. Check Mt Hutt's report in the morning for the freshest numbers, and again in the afternoon as conditions evolve.