Mount Hotham, Australia, experienced its first snow of the 2026 season on March 27, two months before the planned June 6 opening day. The resort shared the news on its official Facebook page through a video.
The Mount Hotham Airport station recorded a temperature of 0.9°C (34ºF) on Thursday, with a feels-like temperature of -5.1°C (23ºF) and strong south-southwest winds gusting over 30 km/h (19 mph). The resort’s weather station also recorded the coldest reading in the state, at -2.2°C (28ºF) at a nearby monitoring point.
The Bureau of Meteorology forecasted snow above 1,400 metres (4,600 feet) and showers in the east, with damaging winds possible in some areas. Mount Hotham’s summit, at 1,862 metres (6,109 feet), means the snowline is across the resort.
Snowfall in late March is unusual. Historical data show that Mount Hotham averages zero centimetres of snow during the last week of March, the end of the Southern Hemisphere’s summer.
Most Australian ski resorts officially open for the season on the second Monday of June, coinciding with the King’s Birthday long weekend. However, they usually don’t fully open until later in the month or into July, depending on snowfall.
Forecasters predict that the snowfall will not persist. Temperatures at Mount Hotham are expected to rise to between 18°C and 24°C (64°F – 75°F) on Sunday, March 29, with mostly sunny conditions and a slight chance of morning fog. By the start of April, daytime highs are expected to reach 20°C to 26°C (68ºF to 79ºF), with partly cloudy skies and light winds. The monthly average for March at the Mount Hotham Airport station is 13.9°C, with the highest recorded temperature in March 2026 reaching 25.3°C on March 6.
Mount Hotham experiences an average of 66 snow days per season and receives an average of 300 centimetres (118 inches) of snowfall annually. It relies on extensive snowmaking infrastructure to supplement natural snowfall.
Cerro Castor in Ushuaia, Argentina, the world’s southernmost ski resort, receives regular snowfall even in summer, unlike Mount Hotham in the Southern Hemisphere. Historical records show the resort averages nearly one snowy day in the first week of February alone.
To secure your pass before the June 6 opening, buy the 2026 Epic Australia Pass for AUD1,235 (before prices rise on April 8). It gives unlimited access to Hotham, Falls Creek, and Perisher for the 2026 Australian season, and over 80 world-class resorts for the 2026-27 Northern Hemisphere season starting in November and December 2026, including Whistler Blackcomb, Vail, and Rusutsu. Pass holders get 20% off lessons and rentals, 15% off retail, six ‘Bring A Mate’ invites for up to 50% off single-day lift tickets, and Epic Coverage for qualifying events like job loss, injury, or illness. Buy now at mthotham.com.au.
