Australia’s ski resorts are about to get a major boost in the next few days, with an expected half a metre of snow expected to fall in the Australian Alps, just in time for the school holidays. 

This snowfall is a sigh of relief for skiers as it will help repair the damage caused to the slopes by the recent rains. 

Light snow fell on Thursday which is expected to continue on Friday before things kick into high gear on Saturday when a powerful cold front crosses the area. 

Saturday is expected to experience the best snowfall of the season with the major resorts receiving 20 – 30cm of snow, while the higher peaks will receive 50cm. 

The quality of the snow will be mixed. Snow on the higher peaks will be dry, wet for the middle, and a possible mix of sleet and rain for the lower slopes.  

Unfortunately, conditions won’t be ideal for skiers and snowboarders as gale-force winds of over 100km/h are expected that may affect lift operations. 

The higher alps may even experience blizzard conditions with conditions set to ease on Monday. 

While this weekend may not be ideal, it does suggest that the rest of July will see a good season. 

Many locations have snowfall above the July average, including Mount Hotham with a snow depth of 63cm (13cm above the 50cm average), Falls Creek with a reported 75cm of snow depth (up 27cm). 

The resorts don’t measure snow depth throughout the season so it is difficult to ascertain the conditions there.