Does Australia get Snow?

Everything you need to know (From a local Ski bunny)

Does it Snow in Australia?

The short answer is Yes!

Although Australia is most well known for its beaches and hot summers, most people don’t think too much about Australian winters.

While overall our winters are reasonably mild compared to the northern hemisphere winters, it most definitely does get cold enough for it to snow in Australia.

I was lucky enough to have gone down to the snow every year growing up since I was 3.

Yep, I was one of those little skiing pocket rocket kids! And as a adult have visited all the main ski resorts in Australia.

When is Winter in Australia and when does it Snow in Australia?

Australia’s winter runs from the beginning of June to the end of September.

The Snow will can start as early as May and can go up to October. But the main snowfall will start from June onwards.

Although in recent years it has even snowed in summer like in 2017 and this year in February which is extremely rare!

Where does it Snow in Australia?

The snow in Australia mainly occurs on the great dividing range which runs down the eastern coast from Queensland all the way down to Victoria.

Where this range straddles the border of New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria (Vic) is where the main snow occurs!

Much of the snow is contained in 2 National parks, which are Kosciusko national park (NSW) and Alpine national park (VIC) and can be quite inaccessible during winter.

This area has a very special ecological and historical and cultural significance in Australia with many plants and animals found nowhere else but this region.

This region is also famous for its Wild brumby horses, and beautiful snow gum trees.

Does it snow in Sydney or Melbourne?

No, Sydney and Melbourne don’t get Snow.

Other parts of the country that sometimes can have a dusting of snow include the Dandenong ranges east of Melbourne, Orange, Oberon and the Blue mountains in NSW, Cradle mountain and Ben Lomond in Tasmania and the Adelaide Hills in South Australia.

Are there Ski fields in Australia?

The main ski fields in Australia are in the large area around the NSW and Victoria borders, this area is also known as the Snowy mountains or the Australian Alps and contain several ski resorts.

In total there are 10 resorts across Australia including ones in Tasmania and South Australia, but here I will be sticking to the main ones in NSW and Victoria which there are 5 in total. 2 in NSW and 3 in Vic.

What type of runs does Australia have?

Australia has 4 types of runs which are different colours compared to Europe and Japan, but the same as Canada and USA.

Green- Easy
Blue- intermediate
Black- advanced
Double black- Expert

New South Wales Ski Resorts

In NSW the two main ski resorts are Perisher and Thredbo. These are both in Mt Kosciuszko national park and you will need to buy a National Park pass to access the Ski fields and also due to this there is limited accomodation right on the slopes. For extra information about entering Kosciuszko National park check it out here.

Thredbo Resort

Thredbo has 15 lifts and a ski area of 480 hectares
It is the only resort in Australia that has a gondola
Parts of Thredbo can be quite steep, with most of its chairlifts over 1km long, which means it also has some of the longer runs in Australia, including the longest run which is over 5km and is green.
Thredbo is also Australia’s highest lifted point at 2037 metres.
Majority of the mountain is blue and black runs, but there are pockets for beginners such as Friday flat and Merritt’s.
To Find out more about Thredbo Resort click here.

Perisher Valley Resort

Perisher is Australia’s largest resort that encompasses Perisher, Blue cow, Guthega and Smiggins and is owned by Vail resorts.
Perisher has 48 lifts and is 1245 hectares.
Perisher has very limited accomodation options, but does has a few ski in- ski- out places.
Perisher has some great beginner and family friendly areas such as perishers front valley, Blue cow beginners area and Smiggins, where the whole resort is a slow area with beginner runs.
There are a couple of different options to get up the mountain, including driving, shuttle buses and the ski tube.
There is a large tobogganing area next to the main carpark at Perisher.
You can go night skiing on the front valley on certain days
If you are driving the main car park is out the front of the main Perisher terminal, you can also park at Smiggins and if the road is open, at Guthega. (most of the time it is shut in winter). There are also plenty of chain bays along the way if needed.
The Perisher ski tube leaves from Bullocks flat and stops at Perisher main valley and also goes up to Blue cow terminal. It leaves roughly every 20 minutes and takes about 20 minutes to get up to the resort (Perisher). It is a great option where you don’t have to drive all the way up to the resort or need to pay for a National Parks pass for your car, and if you don’t have chains for your car (Past bullocks flat you need to carry chains). The ski tube does cost a little bit extra on top of your ticket.
If you catch the ski tube you can also go straight up to Blue cow where there is a restaurant and Bar above the terminal, which means for anyone who wants to head up but doesn’t ski or board can still go up and enjoy the views.
To find out more about Perisher resort click here.

Victoria Ski Resorts

In Victoria there a 3 main ski resorts of Mt Hotham, Falls Creeks and Mt Buller. The closest to Melbourne is Mt Buller being 2-3 hours away. Due to the closeness it is super popular on the weekends in winter.

Falls creek and Mt Hotham are both roughly about 6 hours away from Melbourne and Located in the Alpine National Park.

Unlike with NSW, All Victorian resorts require you to carry diamond shaped chains – this is a legal requirement. You can hire these in towns close by, for example Bright and Mt beauty and they will show you how to put them on.

Mt Hotham Resort

Located roughly 6 hours north of Melbourne, Hotham can be fairly steep in many places has a long windy road up the the resort, where you must carry diamond shaped chains for your car. This is because unlike any of the other resorts, the resort is actually at the top of the resort at 1750m. Therefore the road up is very exposed and can get snow on the road at anytime.
Due to the resort being at the top, you ski/board down to the lifts.
There are 14 ski lifts and 320 hectares of skiable area.
Mt Hotham is quite steep, most of the runs are for more advanced skiers and boarders with much of it being blue and black runs and plenty of bowls to explore.
While there a couple of places to hire equipment in Hotham village, other places to check out are Myrtleford, Harrietville and Bright where you can can a bit more variety.
There is a free shuttle bus that goes from the village to the lifts.
There are plenty of options of hotels or lodges you can stay in in Hotham village, alternatively you can also choose to stay in Dinner plain and catch the bus or drive up to Hotham each day.
Mt Hotham has a large designated cross country area
Want to explore two resorts in one day? Heli- hop between Mt Hotham and Falls creek with a 12 minute helicopter ride.
To Learn more about Mt Hotham resort click here.

Falls Creek Resort

Also a 6 hour drive from Melbourne, Falls is one of the only resorts that has that typical snowy mountain village type feel that you get in many USA and Canadian resorts- even with a nice view of a lake.

Falls creek, also know just as Falls, is Victorias largest ski resort and consists of 90 trails and 450 hectares of skiable area. It also boasts having Australia’s longest green ski run.
You can stay in ski- in, ski- out type of accomodation with over snow transport to get there.
Falls has a great beginner area With plenty of green and blue runs. The slopes are also broad with lots of open space.
Falls has a free village shuttle
Falls also has one of the largest designated cross country skiing areas with 65 km of trails and a cross country hut to stay at.
Is a great place to go snowmobiling or go Tobogganing in Windy corner
Want to explore 2 resorts in one day? Heli-hop between Falls and Mt Hotham with a 12 minute helicopter ride.
To Learn more about Falls Creek Resort click here.

Mt Buller Resort

Just a mere 3 hour drive from Melbourne, this is a very popular resort, and is very busy especially on the weekends as it is so close to Melbourne. You can alternatively just do a day trip if you want.

Mt Buller has a small village with restaurants, accomodation and ski hire.
One of the smaller ski resorts, it has 22 ski lifts and has 300 hectares of skiable area it does have a variety of different levels of runs, but predominately green and blue with some black runs.

Also one of the easier resorts to get to, if you dont want to drive as throughout winter there is a daily bus running from Southern Cross Station in Melbourne up to Mt Buller.

To learn more about Mt Buller resort click here.

Where to stay?

New South Wales

The main place where most people stay is in the town of Jindabyne. It is the closest town to both resorts, with plenty accomodation options from 4 star resorts to cheaper lodges, rental hire shops, supermarkets, cafes, restaurants, a visitors centre and a lake!

It can take anywhere from 40 minutes to a hour to drive up to the resorts from here and can be very busy in the mornings.

This is also a town you can catch shuttle buses up to the resorts which leave from the main bus stop closer to the National Parks centre in the town centre.

Other close towns that have a lot of accomodations options but are further away are Berridale and Cooma. The latter being a large town with ski rentals, cafes, supermarkets and restaurants.

Thredbo village

At Thredbo there is a village that does have accomodation, rental hire, shops and restaurants right across from the slopes. I would only recommend staying here if you are just going to Thredbo, and not Perisher as well.

Thredbo has a leisure centre with a pool, gym and a bobsled.

Victoria

Mt Hotham
There are a few different places to stay around Hotham such as in Hotham Village, Dinner Plain, Omeo or Bright. Depending on your budget, Hotham is going to be more expensive than somewhere like Bright or Omeo as they are further away and so would still have to drive up the mountain each day.

Falls Creek
Best place in falls creek to stay- is in Falls creek itself! As this is a village right at the mountain, you have choices such as ski- in, ski- out or more in the village area. Alternatively you can stay at Mt beauty further down the road, and drive up to the resort.

How to get to the ski Resorts?

The easiest and most convenient way of getting to any of the ski resorts is by car. Always make sure you carry snow chains and know how to put them on.

Alternatively buses run daily during Winter from both Sydney and Canberra to Jindabyne (access to Thredbo and Perisher resorts) and Melbourne to all Victorian ski resorts.

Are there Ski season passes available?

Yes, there are two main Ski season passes available and they cover different resorts. Firstly is the EPIC season pass which covers Perisher, Falls creek and Mt Hotham Resorts.

The pass can also give you discounts on ski hire and mountain restaurants and ski passes for friends or family. It also gives you a few free days at different resorts throughout Canada and USA during their winter season too.

The second is the IKON season pass which covers Thredbo and Mt Buller and gives similar discounts for Ikon resorts overseas too.

Which are the best resorts for families?

The best resorts for families are Smiggins and Blue Cow in NSW and Mt Buller and Falls creek in Victoria.

All of these resorts have large learning areas and Ski schools where Kids can learn to ski, and lots of green runs they can try when they are ready to advance. Most of these resorts also have some type childcare.

What is there to do if you don’t Ski or Snowboard?

If Skiing or snowboarding isn’t your thing, there are plenty of other things you can do instead!

From catching the ski tube up to Blue cow, and enjoy a mulled wine, or checking out the Wild Brumby distillery.

Try going dogsledding at Mt Hotham, Snowmobiling or Tobogganing at Perisher or go for a few rides on the Thredbo bobsled. Pamper yourself with a day at the Lake Crackenback Spa resort, a short dive from Thredbo.

What can you do in the Alpine regions when its not snowing?

The snowy mountains area is just as popular in summer as it is in Winter!

From Hiking, Mountain biking, camping, the possibilities are endless!

Climb Mt Kosciuszko- Australia’s tallest mountain, this is a great easy day hike with a well trodden path up to the top. You can head up from Thredbo village, and catch one of the ski lifts part of the way or head up from Charlottes Pass where you can do some longer walks around the Blue lake as you head up to the top of Mt Kosciuszko.
Hike the newly opened Snowy Alpine track, where the final section of the 54 km long track opened in November 2024. check out my day to day Itinerary for the Snowies alpine Walk here.
Hike the Hut to Hut from Mt Buller to falls.
Hike up Mt Stirling close to Mt Buller.
Head out for a few days camping in one of the many campsites dotted all over the National parks.
Thredbo, Buller and Fall creeks are all great places to go Mountain biking
Follow in the footsteps of the man from snowy river and go horse riding in the mountains.
Head up to Thredbo and have a ride or two on the Alpine bobsled coaster!
Enjoy a few schnapps tastings and even a nice lunch at the Wild Brumbies Distillery, located between Thredbo and Jindabyne.
A hours drive from Jindabyne in the Kosciuszko national park is the Yarrabongbilly caves where you can explore the caves and head to the thermal pool afterwards.