50 Days Until the Start of Winter in Australia — Photo Tour of First Snow Downunder

The coldest Easter in 70 years in south-eastern Australia. | Picture: Jan Webb

While many resorts in the Northern Hemisphere are wrapping up the season, the Southern Hemisphere is starting to prepare for its ski season. With only 50 days to go until the start of winter ‘Downunder’, Australian resorts were chuffed to receive some early snowfall over Easter. South-eastern Australia experienced its coldest weather in 70 years over the Easter long weekend. A small snowstorm accompanied the cold snap and brought the first snowfall of the 2023 winter season to Australian ski resorts.

The start of winter in Australia is officially on 1 June, which is now only 50 days away. Australian ski resorts typically open on the Queen’s Birthday Long Weekend — or rather, King’s Birthday now — which is celebrated on the second Monday in June. It was actually never Queen Elizabeth’s real birthday, she was, in fact, born in April, but the tradition of celebrating the reigning monarch’s birthday in June dates back to King George VI, so the Victorian (‘VIC’) and New South Wales (‘NSW’) state governments decided to keep the June date.