Australia’s snow season has officially begun, with resorts predicting a good season despite climactic threats and the cost-of-living crisis.

Between 20cm and 40cm of snow fell across the Victorian and New South Wales alps before the long weekend, with the falls bolstered by snowmakers.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) said on Friday that the snow was widespread, with light snow showers clearing up to deliver cold frosty nights and sunny days for the weekend.

On Saturday, snow cams showed snow blanketing the ground in some areas. In others, it was patchy or nonexistent.

Resorts increasingly have to rely on technology including snow cannons, snow “factories” (which can produce snow in any temperature), snow grooming and snow harvesting to keep skiers and snowboarders happy.

Thredbo resort’s general manager, Stuart Diver, said sales were up and they were “pretty confident it’s going to be a good season”. He dismissed predictions from the BoM of below-average snowfall, and said last year had been amazing despite a similar forecast.

But ahead of the long weekend that marked the season’s “opening”, experts warned that climate change and the El Niño weather pattern could deliver a slushy season.

BoM senior forecaster Jonathan How said dry, warm conditions combined with El Niño, which is likely to form in the coming weeks, were a “bad combination”.

“It does not favour good deep snow cover for skiers,” he said, and added that lower rainfall and higher temperatures “[tip] the odds against a good season”.

Interest in the 2026 season at Perisher, Falls Creek and Hotham was “strong”, Vail Resorts’ senior communications manager, Dani Wright, said. The company does not release sales data.

The ABC reported last year that people were bringing their own meals, tents and barbecues to cut the cost of a ski trip, and there are many complaints online about the soaring cost of lift passes.

Back in 2010, a one-day lift pass was about $100, according to a survey by the Australian Alpine Club. At the time, they were more expensive than some of the most famous resorts in the world.

In general, a one-day pass can now cost more than double that, although there are a range of discounts for beginners, multi-day bundles and families. Vail Resorts has an opening weekend special of a $99 pass with an optional $1 lesson – effectively the 2010 price.

Climate crisis fears

A 2024 Australian National University report found that Australian ski seasons will shrink by between 44 and 55 days by 2050 if the current climate trajectory continues.

If carbon emissions are driven down and kept down, the ski season would be 28 days shorter by 2050, but could start to recover by 2080.

The Snow Resorts Australia Summit in May heard that snow making was a critical climate resilience measure for the industry, and could even be seen as critical public infrastructure.

Diver said Thredbo was “in a good spot to make sure that the industry is sustainable for decades to come” and was diversifying its offerings.

He said there had been about 150,000 visits to the resort’s $10m alpine coaster.

“We have a massive summer trade with mountain biking, which we’re continuing to develop, and hiking,” he said.

“It’s got to be multi-pronged, you just can’t rely on one thing.”

– with AAP