Mount Buller Joins Ranks of Australian Resorts Closing Early

Mount Buller is closing out its 2026 season this weekend, joining Falls Creek, Mount Hotham, and Charlotte Pass in a wave of early closures that will see much of Australia’s alpine industry wrap up almost simultaneously — and roughly a month ahead of schedule.

The resort broke the news with characteristic good humor on social media: “As we say at Mt Buller — that’s amore! 🍻 Sunday will be our last day on snow. Come and slide, celebrate Dad’s Day, and toast one last après. Proceeds from tickets to Mansfield Men’s Shed!”

• Related: Two More Australian Ski Resorts Call Time on a Brutal 2026 Season

Sunday, September 6 also happens to be Father’s Day in Australia, and Mount Buller is leaning into the occasion — with ticket proceeds from the final day going to the Mansfield Men’s Shed, a community organization based in the town that serves as the resort’s main gateway.

Mount Buller’s typical season runs from early June through the first weekend of October. This year, the resort opened on schedule on June 6 — but is closing nearly four weeks ahead of its planned October 4 finish.

It is, however far from being the only resort in Australia with this problem. September 6 is turning into a mass closure date for Australian skiing: Mount Hotham and Falls Creek are both also wrapping up their seasons that same day, with Charlotte Pass closing one day earlier, on September 5. Selwyn Snow Resort closed even earlier, on August 21, while Mount Baw Baw called it quits two days later, on August 23. Within the span of about two and a half weeks, six of Australia’s best-known resorts will have all shut their lifts well ahead of schedule.

• Related: Just How Bad is This Australian Ski Season?

The culprit across the board has been the same: a historically poor snow season. Spencers Creek’s benchmark snow depth records were updated this afternoon with the latest reading which comes in at 31.2 cm as of September 3. This compares to an average snow depth of 173.4 cm for the 73 years from 1954 to 2025 and a median of 166.4 cm. This means that the current snow depth sits at just 18% of the average or 18.8% of the median and marks an all-time low for week 14 (August 31 – September 6) of the winter. The previous record low for week 14 was 40.4 cm recorded in 1969; today’s reading beats that by 9.2 cm.

That Snowy Hydro data, gathered on the New South Wales side of the Snowy Mountains, reflects the same broad conditions that have hammered resorts across the border in Victoria, including Mount Buller.

Mount Buller is one of Victoria’s largest and most storied ski resorts, located about three hours’ drive northeast of Melbourne near the township of Mansfield. The resort traces its skiing history back roughly 100 years, and today operates 25 lifts across terrain spanning about 100 km of trails, with a vertical drop of around 400 meters. It’s a partner resort on both the Ikon Pass and Mountain Collective, making it a regular stop for international visitors alongside its strong domestic following from Melbourne.

Skiers looking for one last day on the mountain, a Father’s Day toast, and a chance to support a good local cause have until Sunday to make it happen.