An Aussie excited to kick off the snow season has revealed the reality of opening weekend.
Jasmine Lola was one of many ski and snowboarders who headed to Thredbo this weekend to soak up the festivities, after months of building anticipation.
However, after travelling hours from Sydney, she was greeted with mud, slushy hills and some light snow.
“It’s pretty grim, I won’t lie,” she said in a TikTok filmed and shared from the snow on Sunday.
“I love Thredbo,” she told Yahoo News, adding she shared the reality of the opening weekend, wanting “people to better understand how much snow we currently have.”
When she arrived this weekend, she said it was only beginner runs, and the magic carpet at Thredbo was open.
It was forecast that major Australian ski resorts like Thredbo, Perisher, Mt Buller, Mt Hotham, and Falls Creek would have at least enough snow to open beginner terrain this long weekend.
Snowboarder hopes to set realistic expectations
By sharing videos of the lack of snow, Jasmine said she hoped to help set realistic expectations for others.
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By Monday, Jasmine said that the snow guns “working overtime” had really helped with snow conditions.
Despite the less-than-ideal conditions this weekend, the Sydney resident said she will return to the snow in two weeks and hopes conditions will improve by then.
Jasmine is then heading to Australia’s largest resort, Perisher, as their 59 snow guns fire and coat the mountain.
Despite above-average winter temperatures, 20 to 44 cm of fresh snow was measured across the Alpine region this weekend.
Snow had fallen in alpine areas last week. Left: Instagram/Perisher Resort, Right: Steve Smith via Weatherzone
When will snow conditions improve?
The weather was cold enough for blazing snow canons to maintain the snow base for skiers, Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Jonathan How said.
He assured skiers and snow lovers that the temperatures were well below 0 degrees on Monday morning.
A Thredbo spokesperson said resort “conditions are shaping up well, with strong snow-making temperatures expected throughout the weekend and into next week”.
How said maximum temperatures across the country were making for a “very warm” winter week, with no snow forecast until next week.
“Maximum temperatures for Queensland, NSW, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, even much of the Northern Territory, are up to sort of 8 to 10 degrees above average.”
Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Angus Hines is encouraging skiers to be flexible when planning a trip, if possible.
“When you can see a weather event that’s coming up in the next four to seven days that’s likely to bring a lot of snowfall, then maybe you want to book your trip up to the slopes for the week after that,” he said.
with Newswire
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