TL;DR
The season opening in Perisher, Australia, faced heavy criticism from Australian news outlets, branding it as the worst ski season of the century. However, this criticism may have been driven by clickbait trends. The season began on June 10, 2023, with limited snowfall and a single conveyor on Front Valley, which is normal for early season conditions. The initial lackluster start doesn't necessarily reflect the overall snow depth for the rest of the season. Surprisingly, a recent snowfall of 20-28cm (8-11 inches) in the Australian Alps caught everyone off guard. This allowed Perisher in New South Wales to open the Village 8 Chairlift, known as 'V8,' on June 14, 2023. It was the first chairlift opening in the state, with only Mount Buller in Victoria previously operating a chairlift on a narrow strip of snow jokingly called 'the Landing Strip' by locals.
The season opening in Perisher, Australia, did not meet everyone's expectations, leading numerous Australian news outlets to lament the ski season as the worst of the century. A situation we can’t help but feel is the click bait trend we are becoming used to. On Saturday, June 10, 2023, Perisher commenced the ski season with the operation of a solitary conveyor on Front Valley. Typically, early season snowfalls tend to be meager and often transient since the ground remains unfrozen and the snow cover is susceptible to dissipating after a few warm days. Therefore, when compared to historical data, a lacklustre start to the season does not necessarily indicate the snow depth for the rest of the season.
About the author
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
