Ohau Snowfields, New Zealand, Report: Trickster POW

Report from 1 August, 2026

It’s a tale as old as New Zealand. Powder snow fell. But it was tricky to tell.

After a mighty fine powder storm last weekend, Ohau Snowfields was absolutely ready for a quick refresh and kickstart to the ski and snowboard season. And this time, skiers and snowboarders absolutely turned up.

The storm did happen. But the kick came in the form of STRONG wind.

Spoiler alert: Ohau means ‘place of wind’ so it’s easy to imagine what is par for the course when riding there.

Usually, wind at Ohau means free refills and wild thrills. During this powerful storm, trickster gusts actually reshuffled the whole snowpack. Some parts of the mountainside were buffed almost bare. Other aspects were buried under a dime of windblown fresh snow.

To be clear, trickster POW is a natural and fun phenomenon of skiing or snowboarding at Ohau. The snowfield is always changing, powder caches shift and run like a game of Hide and Seek.

Ohau’s playful conditions make skiing and snowboarding interesting, and by no means easy.

Funny enough, the standout element of shredding Oahu is its Trickster POW. No matter how wild the weather, there are facets of the Snowfield which will have saved the powder snow, shielded it from sun, and hidden it—usually in plain sight.

And of course, among the biggest joys of all is the Ohau Snowfields ski and snowboarding community who comes together to enjoy it.

• Related: Ohau Snowfields Report; Snow,Sun,Wind & Back Again

Naturally Ohau is watching for the next storm, while enjoying to the fullest the one it’s received.