Alpine ski resorts in New South Wales and Victoria shattered climate records over the weekend, with maximum temperatures soaring up to 12 degrees Celsius above the July average. According to the Bureau of Meteorology, Mount Hotham and Falls Creek set new July records for both daytime and night-time heat, while Thredbo also recorded its hottest July day ever.
Record-Breaking Heat
At Mount Hotham, where official temperature records date back 36 years, the previous hottest July day of 8.7C in 1994 was broken three times this month alone. On Sunday, the mercury peaked at a record 12C, compared to the average daily maximum of zero degrees for July. Falls Creek saw its highest July temperature climb to 13C on Sunday, surpassing the 1992 record of 9.8C; its average July maximum is just 1.2C.
Other alpine areas setting new daily temperature records over the weekend included Thredbo (14C), Cabramurra (14.3C), and Mount William (15.2C). Record warm night-time temperatures were also recorded at Mount Buller (5.7C), Mount Baw Baw (12C), Mount William (9.4C), Mount Hotham (4.6C), and Falls Creek (4.6C).
Challenging Start to Ski Season
The records come after a difficult beginning for Australia's ski season, with dry and warm conditions leading to only sporadic natural snowfall in many alpine areas. Resorts have relied heavily on snow-making technology to maintain operations. The Bureau of Meteorology's long-range forecast and the El Niño event in the tropical Pacific both point to generally drier and warmer conditions for alpine regions this winter—a combination described as “bad” for snow.
Climate Scientists Weigh In
Dr. Andrew Watkins, a climate scientist at the Climate Council, skied at Mount Hotham on Friday when temperatures were already threatening the 1994 record. “It was incredibly warm up there,” he said. “You do not expect to see temperature records that are more than 30 years old being broken by two or three degrees. It is quite phenomenal. I don’t think any climatologist is surprised by events like this any more. It is shocking in its own way.”
Angus Hines, a senior forecaster at the bureau, attributed the spiking temperatures to a slow-moving high-pressure system characterized by clear skies and descending dry air. This also caused a “temperature inversion,” where it was cooler near sea level than at higher altitudes. “These temperatures were a substantial departure from the norm and even from previous bursts of heat for July,” he said. “This highlights the likely issues we will have with ski seasons into the future with a warming climate.”
Skiers React
Laura Gray, from Bright in Victoria, skied at Mount Hotham and Falls Creek over the weekend and observed people skiing in T-shirts and without gloves. “It did feel pretty bizarre and I had to keep reminding myself that it was still mid-July and not the spring,” she said. “In the morning it was lovely to ski but once the sun got high enough on the slopes it turned slushy very quickly.” She described the ski season so far as “pretty grim,” adding that without snow-making, skiing would have been impossible.
Warmer-than-usual temperatures are expected to persist in ski areas until about Wednesday, with a possible snow flurry over the weekend before temperatures climb again early next week. The Guardian has approached Snow Resorts Australia for comment.
