SnowBrains Forecast: 2+ Feet For New Zealand This Week

This run favors the Southern Lakes, with the best shot at deeper totals mid to late week, a brief warm bump Saturday, then a colder refresher Sunday night into Monday. Treble Cone leads with 18″-28″, while Ohau stacks up 15″-23″ and Cardrona lands 12″-18″. Canterbury sites run lighter at 3″-7″ and the North Island grabs a modest 3″-6″ with the better window Monday night into Tuesday. Snow quality is mostly fair to good (SLR near 10–12:1) during the colder waves, denser for the brief warm spell Saturday when snow levels rise toward 4,500–5,000 feet.

Wednesday night through Friday night brings the main, colder-producing phase for the Southern Lakes. Temperatures run mid to upper 20s at elevation, SLRs generally 10–12:1, and snow levels trend down from roughly 3,500 feet to near 2,000 feet by Friday night. That supports fair to good quality chalk and some soft turns as accumulations build, especially at Treble Cone, Coronet Peak, Cardrona, and The Remarkables. Winds are manageable here, though Canterbury peaks like Mt Hutt see stronger NW gusts Thursday night into Friday that could prompt lift impacts.

Saturday into Sunday turns warmer and a bit denser, so expect a brief quality dip and elevation-dependent precip. SLRs fall into the 6–9:1 range at times while snow levels rebound toward 3,500–4,900 feet. That flirts with or exceeds base elevations at several fields (for context: Coronet Peak 3,894 feet, Cardrona 4,245 feet, Treble Cone 4,133 feet, Ohau 4,675 feet), so a mix or light rain is possible near the lower mountain during the warmest periods, especially Saturday and early Sunday. Accumulations in this window are lighter overall across the South Island.

Sunday night through Monday night delivers a cooler follow-up with the best refresh centered in the south and a North Island bump Monday night into Tuesday. SLRs trend back toward 10–13:1 by Monday night with snow levels settling near 2,400–3,300 feet, so quality improves again up high. Ohau stands out Sunday night, and Treble Cone benefits as well. Canterbury edges out modest totals. On Ruapehu, both Turoa and Whakapapa pick up their more meaningful snow Monday night into Tuesday with SLRs near 8–10:1; winds there ease compared to earlier in the period.

Resort-by-Resort Snowfall Totals

• Treble Cone – 18″–28″ Wed night (09/24) – Mon night (09/29)
• Ohau – 15″–23″ total (11″–15″ Wed night (09/24) – Sat night (09/27) + 4″–7″ Sun (09/28) – Mon night (09/29))
• Cardrona – 12″–18″ total (8″–12″ Wed night (09/24) – Fri night (09/26) + 1″–2″ Fri night (09/26) – Sat night (09/27) + 3″–5″ Sun (09/28) – Mon night (09/29))
• Coronet Peak – 11″–17″ total (8″–11″ Wed night (09/24) – Fri night (09/26) + 3″–6″ Sun night (09/28) – Mon night (09/29))
• Remarkables – 10″–16″ total (7″–10″ Wed night (09/24) – Fri night (09/26) + 3″–6″ Sun (09/28) – Mon night (09/29))
• Porters – 4″–7″ total (3″–4″ Thu (09/25) – Fri night (09/26) + 1″–3″ Sun night (09/28) – Mon night (09/29))
• Mount Dobson – 4″–7″ total (3″–4″ Wed night (09/24) – Fri night (09/26) + 1″–2″ Sun night (09/28) – Mon night (09/29))
• Mt Hutt – 3″–6″ total (2″–3″ Thu (09/25) – Fri night (09/26) + 1″–2″ Sun night (09/28) – Mon night (09/29))
• Turoa – 3″–6″ total (1″–2″ Fri (09/26) – Sat (09/27) + 2″–4″ Mon night (09/29) – Tue night (09/30))
• Whakapapa – 3″–5″ total (1″–2″ Fri (09/26) – Sat (09/27) + 2″–3″ Mon night (09/29) – Tue night (09/30))