Australian ski slopes were coated in snow yesterday and temperatures are still well below freezing at most areas, variously reported at -3 to -5C.
(Pictured: Australia's Hotham above, Thredbo below, earlier today)
The Australian ski season traditionally kicks off on the first or second weekend of June, the 'Queen's birthday' long weekend back holiday there …but often there is little or no snow to ski on, with the season often not really getting going until later in June or even July.
However the current snow storm is the second significant snowfall this month, raising anticipation for the coming 2017 season in the southern hemisphere.
The two small resorts in Africa, Afriski in Lesotho and Tiffindell in South Africa, are often the first to open at the end of May or early June; with the first resorts in New Zealand following a few days later and Australia's ski areas almost all officially opening the second weekend in June – most on June 10th this year. South American ski areas tend to open from mid-June.
