The 2016 ski season has got underway in Chile in the southern hemisphere after huge snowfalls to end May and start June – one ski area there claims to have received 3m/10 feet of snow in the last week.
El Colorado ski area (pictured above and below) hasn’t had quite that much new snow but it opened yesterday, Sunday 5th June, nearly a fortnight ahead of the expected opening date for most South American ski areas.
La Parva and Valle Nevado (pictured below today), also in Chile, say they’ll open this Thursday 9th and Friday 10th June respectively.
Portillo (pictured below), also in Chile, the resort that has posted the biggest snowfall, says it will open on the 18th as scheduled. Most ski areas in Argentina will open then too.
Across the Pacific the first ski area in New Zealand will open this Friday. There’s been good snow there too, if not quite so much, however Mount Hutt says it expects all lifts and terrain will be open on day one of their 2016 season.
More Kiwi ski areas including Cardrona and Coronet Peak will open at the weekend.
Ski areas in Australia will also officially open for winter 2016 this weekend too but it is not yet clear how much skiing will be open. Southern African ski areas in Lesotho (pictured below) and South Africa have started their winter seasons already but have not yet been able to offer any snow sports. They hope that with continued night time snow making they may also be able to do so this weekend.
