"That's a Wrap": Multiple Australian Ski Resorts Throw In The Towel

It’s been a challenging ski season Down Under.

Australia’s handful of ski resorts typically operate on thin margins, relying on a few days of natural snowfall and below-freezing temperatures each winter. And while ski resorts in South America are reporting near-record snowfall and all-time conditions, Australia’s winter of 2026, much like the last few in recent memory, has been plagued by rain and warm temperatures.

Selwyn Snow Resort gave it everything it had, but Mother Nature forced the resort to close on Friday, August 21, 2026.

“Following Thursday’s rain and the impact on our remaining snow cover, our Mountain Team worked tirelessly to give us every possible chance of reopening,” wrote Selwyn in a social media post. “Unfortunately, the snowmaking temperatures we needed didn’t arrive, and the time has come to call it a season.”

Selwyn thanked their employees and guests for the short season and teased exciting new upgrades in the future: “We may be saying goodbye to winter a little earlier than we hoped, but there’s plenty to look forward to. We have some significant and exciting upgrades coming to our snowmaking infrastructure for 2027. Watch this space.”

Mount Baw Baw, a low-altitude ski resort known for being the closest to Melbourne, followed suit on Monday, August 24, 2026.

Mount Baw Baw didn’t cite warm temperatures and a lack of snowfall as reasons for ending its season abruptly, but a quick look at the resort’s various webcams tells the story. The slopes are almost completely dry, with just small strips of snow remaining.

The ski season is still chugging along at higher-altitude ski resorts like Perisher, Mount Hotham, and Thredbo, but skiers have reported less-than-favorable conditions and below-average snowfall.

As of Monday, August 24, 2026, Thredbo had just 19 of 53 slopes open. Perisher, the country’s largest resort, had 39 of its 100+ runs open.

Australia’s ski season typically lasts until Labour Day/The King’s Birthday, which is celebrated in early October. Here are the projected closing dates for ski resorts still open in Australia.

Australia Ski Resorts Projected Closing Dates, Winter 2026

• Charlotte Pass: TBD
• Falls Creek: October 4, 2026
• Mount Buller: October 4, 2026
• Mount Hotham: October 4, 2026
• Perisher: October 5, 2026
• Thredbo: October 5, 2026

Related: A New Ski Resort Game Features Simulated Snow and Peaks You’ll Recognize