Major Australian ski resorts in the alpine regions have shut down their operations up to a month earlier than usual due to an unusually warm winter with minimal snowfall. Many of the snowfalls that did occur were washed away by rain, leaving little to no snow for skiing. Seven major resorts, including Mount Buller, Mount Hotham, and Falls Creek in Victoria, as well as Charlotte Pass in New South Wales, have either already closed or plan to stop operating this weekend. Other resorts such as Mount Baw Baw in Victoria, Selwyn in New South Wales, and Ben Lomond in Tasmania have already shut down. Typically, these resorts aim to stay open until the first weekend of October. Dr. Andrew Watkins, a climate scientist at Monash University and an advisor to the Protect our Winters campaign, described the season as “a shocker.” He attributed the poor conditions to a combination of El Niño weather patterns and climate change. He explained that the winter was not particularly dry, but the high temperatures caused precipitation that would have fallen as snow to instead fall as rain. Rain is particularly damaging to snowpack, as it melts and washes it away. According to the Bureau of Meteorology, Falls Creek and Mount Hotham experienced their wettest winters in over 30 years, and together with Mount Buller, they had the warmest winters on record. Data from Cabramurra in Kosciuszko National Park suggest that alpine winter temperatures have risen by about 2°C since the 1960s, which is enough to change the type of precipitation from snow to rain. The current El Niño, a climate phenomenon characterized by warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific, has been linked to the extreme warmth in Australia’s southeast. This week, the Bureau of Meteorology predicted that this El Niño would be the strongest on record, and scientists have noted that climate change has made such events six times more likely. The bureau explained that the heat this winter was consistent with a strong El Niño, with long periods of high pressure over the Tasman Sea directing warm air from the north over alpine regions. Additionally, warm nights with cloud cover and moist soil reduced overnight cooling, which is different from historical El Niño events. These conditions are occurring against a backdrop of global warming, with daily temperatures this year close to or exceeding 2024’s record levels. New South Wales, Tasmania, and Victoria all recorded their hottest winters on record this year. In July, several ski resorts broke all-time heat records, with temperatures up to 12°C above average during one particularly hot spell. Climate scientists have long warned that rising global temperatures will pose challenges for Australia’s ski industry and alpine ecosystems. Josh Elliott, CEO of Snow Resorts Australia, acknowledged the difficulties this season but emphasized that the warm weather and climatic variability are not indicative of future conditions. He noted that despite the challenges, snow activities have remained available in New South Wales, Victoria, and the Australian Capital Territory since the June long weekend, with resorts operating through the July school holidays and beyond. Elliott highlighted the importance of snow-making technology, which has helped maintain the demand for snow holidays even in difficult conditions.