Perisher Resort Announces Closing Date After Difficult Australian Ski Season

Perisher Resort has announced that it expects to close for the 2026 winter season on Friday, September 25, bringing Australia’s ski season to an earlier-than-planned end. Perisher, the last ski resort still operating in Australia, announced the date on September 16 through its website, social media channels, and an email to customers. The resort had originally planned to operate for another 10 days, but warmer weather in the forecast has made a longer season unlikely.

“Our team has thrown everything at keeping you skiing and boarding as long as possible, but Mother Nature had other plans this season,” Perisher said.

The resort received some fresh snow and cold temperatures overnight and on September 16, allowing its snowmaking team to operate for more than 16 hours. Perisher has also been trucking snow and making snow whenever temperatures have allowed in an effort to keep key terrain open. Despite those efforts, the forecast is now calling for warmer conditions.

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“With the forecast calling for warmer temperatures ahead, we expect our last day of lift operations to be Friday 25 September,” the resort said.

Perisher’s final weekend of operations will feature an inaugural Splash & Dash Tube Slide Challenge, giving the resort a distinctly Australian way to close out a difficult winter. Front Valley, Quad Express, and Leichhardt are currently scheduled to remain open through the final week, while park features will stay in place for as long as conditions allow. Adult and children’s lessons will also continue through Friday.

Lift tickets have been reduced to $159 per day for the final week, while Bring A Mate invitations are available at 50% off. The resort is encouraging skiers and snowboarders to make the most of the remaining days, with the final weekend being billed as a celebration of the people and effort that kept Perisher operating through the challenging season.

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

Perisher’s early closure brings an end to a difficult 2026 Australian ski season, with snow and weather conditions making operations challenging across the country’s resorts. During the peak-season from mid-July to the end of August, the average snow depth as measured by Snowy Hydro at Spencer’s Creek was 76.9 cm (30.3 inches) or 44.7% below the 73-year average for this window of 139.0 cm (54.7 inches). Even against just the last 15 years — a period that includes its own share of lean seasons — the average is 133.3 cm (52.5 inches). This year is 42.3% below even that more recent, more modest bar. Ranked against every peak-season measurement since 1954, 2026 comes in as the 5th-worst on record, trailing only 1973, 1989, 1982, and 2006. More strikingly: this is the worst season in 20 years. The last time the peak-season-average was this low or lower was 2006. Warm temperatures and rain eroded the already thin cover into September, taking the September snow depth at Spencer’s Creek to the lowest reading ever recorded for the month. Nevertheless, Perisher was able to remain open after other Australian ski areas had already closed, but even Australia’s largest ski resort has ultimately been unable to extend the season as far as originally planned.

The resort credited its staff and snowmaking crews for keeping the mountain running despite the conditions. “While it hasn’t quite been the ending we wanted, we’re still looking to make the most of it wherever we can,” Perisher said.

The resort will close its lifts for the winter after Friday’s final laps and is already looking ahead to the 2027 season. “To our Perisher community, thank you for your support, and we look forward to welcoming you back in 2027,” the resort said.