The southern hemisphere's 2011 ski season kind of started a month early, in mid-May, when 'historic' early snowfall and low temperatures allowed Australia's Perisher to open five weeks early, for one weekend only though.
Since then it has been all quiet. Tiffindell in South Africa was often the first to open, in late May each year, but since it went bankrupt last year that's off the annual calendar. However it's southern African neighbour Afriski is scheduled to open June 9th, which would make it first this year if it manages it – so far there's no word on conditions.
New Zealand's ski season was due to have started last weekend with Coronet Peak due to have been first in the Southern Hemisphere, but the warmest May on record in the country scuppered that plan, and now Mt Hutt, which was due to have been second this weekend, has also postponed its opening as temperatures remain above zero with no natural snowfall and temperatures too warm for snowmaking.
In Australia things are looking more promising. If Afriski doesn't make it on the 9th, Mt Hotham should be among the first on the 11th as low temperatures for snowmaking and fresh natural snow falling have allowed the resort to say it will offer snowsports this weekend. This season Australia's ski resorts are celebrating 150 years since the country's first ski club, which they believe was the world's first, was established. They're not celebrating reports that thanks to the strong Aussie dollar, lift tickets there are also the most expensive in the world at present.
Things are also looking promising in South America despite a volcanic eruption coating the slopes of the continent's largest resort, Cerro Cathedral in Argentina, with black ash on top of the white snow. The volcanic ash also kept flights grounded and led to the ski area initially advising people not to come visit, but they're now planning to open for the season as planned on the 17th.
More northerly ski areas are less affected in any case with Valle Nevado in Chile also planning to open the weekend after next and reporting 15cm of snow in the past 48 hours.
