Heavy Snows Open Australia’s 2008 Ski Season

It looks like there is going to be an early start to the Australian ski season this year:

VICTORIANS have had an early taste of winter as the state went from sunshine to snow falls within days.

Snow fell on alpine areas across the state, including more than 15cm at Falls Creek, prompting some to predict a bumper season.

“It’s a very significant snowfall. This is by far the best snow we’ve seen so far,” Falls Creek Resort spokesman Ian Talbot said yesterday.

“It’s been suggested we’re going to have a winter like we did in 2000, when we actually opened two weeks early. It’s blizzard-like conditions here.”

SES volunteers were called to remove 10 cars stuck in the snow at Falls Creek after the snap freeze surprised drivers.

Mt Buller also received more than 10cm of snow and the temperature plummeted to -1.9C at 11am.

“It’s always exciting when we see kids building snowmen and throwing snowballs weeks before the season officially begins,” Buller Ski Lifts’ general manager Laurie Blampied said.

The ski season officially opens on the Queen’s Birthday weekend on June 7. [Herald-Sun]

It has been raining here in Victoria since Saturday and yesterday we received particularly heavy rainfall.  The news is reporting that the snow level in the mountains is at about 800 meters.  There is supposed to be more clouds, rain, and snowfall for the rest of the week for Victoria as well. 

Here are some of the pictures from the Herald-Sun article of the snowfall in the mountains.  First are pictures from Falls Creek:

This final picture is from Mt. Buller:

It looks like it is going to be a great 2008 ski season here in Victoria.