Mother Nature left it until the absolute last minute to save the 2026 snow season, delivering 36cm of fresh snow across the Victorian Alps in just three days ahead of the middle weekend of the school holidays.
While residents across East Gippsland were battening down the hatches as the first major wintry blast arrived last Thursday, the sudden turn in the weather was music to the ears of alpine resort operators.
The storm provided enough cover to open three lifts at Mount Hotham last Saturday — including the Summit Quad, Big D Quad, and Summit Trainer Carpet. Falls Creek similarly spun up three lifts, while Mount Buller got four operating. Further south, Mount Baw Baw opened its Hut Run Platter, providing plenty of coverage for tobogganing and snow play to get Gippsland’s own winter wonderland up and running.
However, the lead-up to this dump has been incredibly challenging, according to Steve Belli, president of the Mount Hotham Chamber of Commerce.
“We had that early snow for the opening weekend, which was great for marketing, but it’s been tough since then up until this week — especially trying to manage staff,” Belli said.
“But it’s great to see the snow arriving in time for the second week of the Victorian school holidays and the first week of the NSW holidays.
“We’ve had three lifts open today, and it’s just been fantastic to see all the kids and families out enjoying themselves, whether that’s on the Summit, at the Big D, down at the Hotham Hub Toboggan and Snow Play Park, or over here at Dinner Plain. People are remarkably quick to respond when the snow finally arrives.”
Belli wears multiple hats in the region. Among other alpine initiatives, he and his partner, Elizabeth Davies, operate the Big Muster Distilling Company — a popular hospitality venue and craft beer and spirits manufacturer located on Cattle Pen Drive in Dinner Plain. Alongside their locally produced brews and spirits, they offer a menu of matching snacks and Italian-inspired food, including ‘Pizza Paddles’, pasta, desserts, and a dedicated kids’ menu, supplemented by daily and weekly specials like minestrone soup with garlic bread.
Their venue is just one of a wide variety of hospitality spots welcoming visitors across Mount Hotham and Dinner Plain as businesses swing into the school holiday rush with as much enthusiasm as the early-season conditions allow.
Looking ahead, the coming week’s forecast sets up dry during the day, but temperatures will drop low enough at night for intensive snowmaking to build upon Mother Nature’s bounty. Forecasters are also teasing the prospect of a fresh snow top-up starting next Saturday.
So, what are the current conditions on the hill?
At Mount Hotham, a combination of recent natural snowfall and extensive work by grooming teams trucking in snow to patch up thin spots means the Summit and Big D lifts are secure. Both beginner magic carpets are also running for first-time lessons, creating plenty of vibrant activity around the central village. Tobogganing and snow play are also in full swing at the Hotham Hub.
While a general base covers the more advanced slopes, the heavy rain experienced early last week means the resort will require another solid natural dump before the main terrain can safely open.
The slow start to the season has also reignited local conversations around resort management and climate resilience.
During the week, Phillip Island’s Greg Price, Chair of the Hotham Stakeholders Association, took to social media to highlight the unique position of Victoria’s ski fields. He noted that Mount Hotham and its counterparts operate inside designated Alpine Resorts rather than National Parks specifically to facilitate intensive winter sports and human activity. This intentional zoning, he argued, is exactly what helps shield the surrounding, untouched National Parks from environmental pressure.
Mr Price argued that to survive a changing climate, resort managers must have the autonomy to keep these public recreation areas viable for the working public. He urges that operators be permitted to conduct necessary earthmoving and vegetation management during the off-season to prepare slopes for low-snow years, without having to “go cap in hand to government every time someone wants to get the whipper snipper out.”
