Another Ski Area on New Zealand’s Upper South Island Ends the 2025 Season Without Ever Opening

Rainbow Ski Area on New Zealand’s South Island has announced it will not open this season at all. After initially hoping for a July season start, a lack of natural snowfall kept delaying the season. Despite some cold spells throughout the season, precipitation mostly came as rainfall, and man-made snow during below-freezing nights was insufficient to enable the resort to open. With spring just around the corner in the Southern Hemisphere, the family-friendly ski area was forced to announce that it will not open this season.

• Related: What are New Zealand’s ClubFields?

August 27 Operations Update: Rainbow is now closed for the season.

We planned to open 54 days ago on July 4th, but Mother Nature had other ideas. Our job now is to control what we can and start getting ready for skiing and snowboarding in 2026.

If you picked up a 2025 Season Pass membership or purchased a three-day lift ticket, don’t worry, these will be automatically extended through next winter. If you have any questions, please send an email to: customerservice@skirainbow.co.nz

Finally, and importantly, Rainbow is community powered and we are strong.

We WILL ride again!

Located in the famous Nelson/Marlborough wine region, Rainbow offers 10 kilometers (6 miles) of ski runs serviced by five lifts. Unlike many of the other club ski areas, which are equipped with rope tows only, which require skiers and snowboarders to bring a device known as a “nut cracker” to use, Rainbow Ski Area features two regular surface lifts: a t-bar and a j-bar. The other three lifts are rope tows for beginners, making the resort popular with families and beginner skiers. 

• Related: Temple Basin, New Zealand, Will Not Open This Season Due to Lack of Snow

Operating since 1982, Rainbow Ski Area is not new to struggles. In 2002, the ski area was forced to close after several bad seasons due to financial problems and was put up for sale. Thanks to a strong community spirit, the ski area was able to reopen in 2004 after joining forces with the Mount Robert Snowsports Club. Through several fundraising efforts, loans, donations, and the sale of Rainbow’s chairlift to Ohau Skifields, the resort was able to reopen with a cheaper t-bar. The loans were successfully repaid in 2008, and the resort has been going strong ever since.

• Related: Ohau Snowfields, New Zealand, Report: Inter-Rock Optimism

After seeing only 29 centimeters (11 inches) of natural snowfall this season, Rainbow is the third ski resort on New Zealand’s South Island unable to open for the season, after Temple Basin and Mount Cheeseman announced the end of the season last week. According to New Zealand newspaper The Press, it is the first time Cheeseman has been unable to open since World War II, and Rainbow Ski Area’s manager Marke Dickson also called the lack of snow “unprecedented.”

• Related: Mt. Cheeseman, NZ, Shuts Down 2025 Season After Weeks Without Enough Snow

Reaching a height of over 1,760 meters (5,774 feet), Rainbow typically captures natural snowfall from the weather systems that affect the St Arnaud Range and Nelson Lakes National Park. However, this year, the Upper South Island is experiencing one of its lowest snowfall years on record. According to Dr Jono Conway, a hydrological forecasting scientist at NIWA, the snow depth at the electronic weather station at Mahanga was at the second lowest level since records began—only 2011 was lower.