SnowBrains Forecast: 15 Inches of Snow For New Zealand This Weekend

This forecast was written at 10:30 a.m. PST on Thursday, June 26, 2025.

A compact but productive late-week southerly pulse will blanket the South Island with 4″–15″ of new snow through Saturday night, with the deepest totals in the Mackenzie Basin, a healthy refresher around Queenstown–Wanaka, and only wind-raked leftovers for the North Island. Freezing levels fall quickly Friday night, turning initially dense snow into chalky powder above 3,000 feet before showers taper on Sunday.

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Moisture wrapping around a Tasman low slams into Canterbury on Thursday night, lighting up Mt Hutt, Mount Dobson, Ohau, and Porters. The first flakes stick around 5,500 feet—right at some base areas—so the opening inch or two skis heavy (SLRs 7-9:1) and may mix at the very bottom. A veer to classic southerly flow by dawn Friday drags freezing levels toward 4,000 feet and delivers another 4″-8″ of steadier snow through the day.

Friday evening, the moisture slides south into the Queenstown–Wanaka corridor, where Cardrona, Treble Cone, The Remarkables, and Coronet Peak cash in. Temperatures dip into the upper 20s, and SLRs jump into the 10-12:1 range, so the 3″-7″ that piles up overnight feels markedly lighter. Winds ramp only into the 20 mph range (gusts 30s), letting Saturday morning powder laps flow uninterrupted.

Lingering southwest energy on Saturday sprinkles an extra 1″-3″ over eastern slopes as skies gradually clear elsewhere. That nudge pushes two-day storm sums into double digits for Mount Dobson and Ohau while cementing a soft, chalky surface for Canterbury and Mackenzie Basin resorts heading into Sunday’s sunshine.

Further north, Turoa fights a completely different beast. A warm northwest gradient holds freezing levels near 6,300 feet and hammers the volcano with 30-40 mph winds (gusts to 80 mph), limiting operations and producing only 3″-5″ of heavy, wind-scoured snow between Friday and Sunday night.

Resort-by-Resort Snowfall Totals

• Mount Dobson – 10″–15″ Thu Night (06/26)–Sat Night (06/28)
• Ohau – 9″–14″ Thu Night (06/26)–Sat Night (06/28)
• Cardrona – 7″–10″ Fri (06/27)–Sat Night (06/28)
• Mt Hutt – 6″–9″ Thu Night (06/26)–Sun (06/29)
• Treble Cone – 5″–8″ Fri Night (06/27)–Sat Night (06/28)
• Remarkables – 5″–8″ Fri Night (06/27)–Sat Night (06/28)
• Coronet Peak – 4″–7″ Fri Night (06/27)–Sat Night (06/28)
• Porters – 4″–7″ Fri (06/27)–Sun (06/29)
• Turoa – 3″–5″ total (1″–2″ Fri (06/27)–Fri Night (06/27) + 2″–4″ Sat (06/28)–Sun Night (06/29))