Australia's Ski Season Starts Despite Weather Worries

Australia's ski season has started with snow falling in the mountains. Between 20 and 40 centimeters of snow covered the hills in Victoria and New South Wales last weekend. Many ski resorts think this will be a good year for skiing and snowboarding. However, weather experts are worried about climate change and a weather pattern called El Niño.

The Bureau of Meteorology said the snow fell across many areas. Some places had thick blankets of snow covering the ground. Other areas only had patches of snow or no snow at all. The weather bureau also said skiers would have cold, frosty nights and sunny days during the weekend.

Ski resorts now use lots of technology to make sure there is enough snow. They use snow cannons and snow factories that can make snow even when it's not very cold. They also use machines to smooth out the snow and collect snow from other places. All of this technology helps keep skiers and snowboarders happy even when there isn't much natural snow.

Stuart Diver runs the Thredbo resort and says ticket sales are doing well. He thinks this will be a good season for skiing. Last year was amazing even though weather experts had predicted it wouldn't be very good. Diver doesn't believe the predictions that this year will have less snow than usual.

But scientists are concerned about the weather this year. Jonathan How, a weather expert, said dry and warm conditions mixed with El Niño could be a bad combination. El Niño is a weather pattern that brings warmer temperatures and less rain. This makes it harder for snow to stick around on the mountains.

Skiing has become much more expensive over the years. In 2010, a one-day lift pass cost about $100. Now it can cost more than twice that amount. Many families are finding ways to save money when they go skiing. Some people bring their own food and camping gear instead of staying at expensive hotels.

The Australian National University did a study about climate change and skiing. They found that ski seasons could become 44 to 55 days shorter by 2050 if the Earth keeps getting warmer. If countries work hard to reduce pollution, ski seasons would only be 28 days shorter. They might even get longer again by 2080.

Snow resorts know they need to prepare for climate change. They are adding new activities that don't need snow. Thredbo built an alpine coaster that has had 150,000 visitors. The resort also offers mountain biking and hiking in the summer. Diver says resorts can't just depend on skiing anymore and need to offer many different activities.