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06.10.2025
Start of the winter season: The southern hemisphere kicks off winter with high-tech snow
Mid-May marked the official start of the snow season in the southern hemisphere. The first cold temperatures sparked great anticipation among ski enthusiasts in Australia and New Zealand. Images of fresh natural snow, along with many snowmaking machines running, promise ideal slope conditions.
Over recent months, many ski resorts have invested heavily in modernizing and expanding their snowmaking systems. The combination of state-of-the-art snowmaking machines and intelligent control by ATASSpro ensures optimal operation even at borderline temperatures and high humidity.
Between early and mid-May, a total of 333 fan snowmakers and 257 snow lances were already in operation. The importance of continuous investment is reflected in the measured average wet-bulb temperatures of approx. -3 °C.
A showcase example is the Australian ski area Falls Creek: This summer, 12 new fan machines from the TR and TT series were installed in this area. Together with the existing high-performance system,the available cold periods were used to full effect – paving the way for a smooth start to the season on 7 June.
The first snow photos out of New Zealand came from Coronet Peak, where new TT10 snowmakers were installed along a 1 kilometer long new pipeline – raising anticipation for the first turns in fresh snow.
In New Zealand's Whakapapa, ten new TT10 snowmakers are also generating excitement. This investment aims to make snowmaking even more efficient in the future, as the latest-generation snowmakers will be used primarily in areas with the highest snow demand. They support the existing system, which has been continuously expanded and optimized in recent years. At less critical locations, older-generation snowmakers continue to ensure reliable snow coverage. In addition, a SnowFactory provides snowmaking capabilities independent of temperature.
With another cold window at the beginning of June, the powerful systems ultimately create perfect conditions on most of the slopes. We wish all partners and ski areas in the Southern Hemisphere a successful and snow-filled winter season!
