Industry News
The Australian resort Falls Creek announced today, Monday, September 18, 2023, that it will be closing for the year this Wednesday, September 20, 2023. Resorts across Australia have been shuttering operations and falling like dominoes as a heat wave sweeps the country.
The country has experienced the second-hottest August on record, with the national mean temperature coming in 2.28°C above average. July 2023 was 1.19°C above the 1961-1990 average, the ninth-highest July temperature on record since 1910.
While nationally-averaged July total rainfall for Australia was close to average, rainfall for Victoria, where some ski resorts are located, was below average. August’s nationally-averaged total rainfall however was almost half the average, coming in at 49.5% below the 1961–1990 average, making this August the tenth-driest on record since 1900. New South Wales, the state where Thredbo is located, saw 60% less rain than the state average, while Victoria, home to resorts like Falls Creek, was close to the national average with 51% less than average rainfalls.
A late August low pressure system brought some much-needed snowfalls to Australian resorts around two weeks ago, but it was not enough to counterbalance the current heatwave eroding the remaining spring snow cover.
“We wanted to share news that the final day of skiing and boarding for the season will be Wednesday 20 September. Due to high temperatures and forecast rain impacting snow cover we are not able to continue past this date.
A huge thanks to all our staff, especially our groomers and snowmakers, who have done a wonderful job all winter long.
To all our guests, we’ve loved seeing your passion for skiing and boarding this year. Your support of the entire Falls Creek community this season has been truly appreciated.
We can’t wait to see you back through the summer months and on the slopes in 2024!”
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(With apologies to the Bard)
Now is the winter of our delight
Made foul summer by these sons of Petroleum;
And all the pow that lour’d upon our slopes
To the distant bosom of the Ant-arctic banished.
Our merry whoops are changed to cries of sorrow;
Our sick lines but a distant memory.
Grim heat has wrinkled winters smooth front;
Our brows burnt and eyes stung with dust;
Our bruised planks and boards hung up for monuments;
No more do we nimbly caper upon deep pillows and softened steeps,
But despair at the sight of rocks and mud… and weep