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Thredbo set for midweek save from snowmaking shutdown

snow action team 17.08.2020

Thredbo’s snowmaking shutdown has left an increasingly sketchy cover. Especially on high traffic lower mountain areas that normally get topped up whenever conditions allowed.

Unfortunately the temporary pipeline repair measure we reported previously, that was supposed to see out the season, didn’t last long when pressure was restored. So the main system is effectively out for the season, and has been down for nearly two weeks.

The Super Trail looking sketchy on Sunday © Snow Action

Some rented fan guns and generators are providing limited emergency back up – you can see one set up in the picture above – but it is nothing like the amazing output the computerised main system normally delivers. Four rainy days last week have exacerbated the situation.

“The Super Trail is down to a couple of metres wide in places” says a local skier who is out almost every day, rain, powder, or shine.

Lower Super Trail conditions at Thredbo getting sketchy
The lower you go the worse it gets (16/08/20) © Snow Action

But just in time, the Thredbo forecast is finally looking up!

Colder temperatures with the next storm system are set to deliver 30-50 cm of snow to the bottom, and 50 – 80 cm up top, from Tuesday to Saturday. At last, some real cold fronts with dry snow, not Tasman lows delivering wet snow or rain, are this week’s much improved prospect.

If you were wondering why the social feeds have gone quiet lately it’s obvious looking at Sunday’s shots.

Watch all things social fire up again Tuesday and Wednesday as the snow starts getting serious. Pow days look back on the menu from midweek off the t-bars, and top-to-bottom fresh too by Thursday.

Perisher has had no such worries, with almost all lifts and terrain open. They invariably fare better out of winter Tasman low systems than Thredbo, thanks to the higher base there, and with plenty of snowmaking conditions are already very good. The fresh snow will make them excellent.

For Victoria it’s all academic, except for a few locals in the resorts who can get out for a hike/skin, so less said the better.

In Tasmania there could finally be enough snow to get Mawson going for next weekend which is certainly deserved for all the volunteers down there.