The South Island’s ski season has taken another blow. Just a week after Temple Basin confirmed it wouldn’t be opening, Mt Cheeseman has followed suit, pulling the pin on winter 2025. The reason is as blunt as it is obvious—there’s simply not enough snow.
Cheeseman, sitting about 60 kilometres from Temple Basin, made the announcement on August 24. Despite a few passing systems and a dusting earlier this month, the mountain still has only 40 centimetres up high and a meagre five at the base. Their last decent fall was eight centimetres on August 19, and nothing has stuck since.
In a statement on Facebook, management said that while there’s always the chance of a last-minute storm, operating with such thin cover isn’t safe or sustainable. “We’ve had to make the hard call to shut for this season. It’s about looking after staff, keeping the books balanced, and focusing on being here for the long run—including our 100th birthday in 2029.”
Temple Basin Facebook 😟
The decision mirrors Temple Basin’s earlier announcement. That club field, famous for its rugged terrain and hardcore community, also conceded that conditions just haven’t come right nearly two months into when the slopes would usually be humming. On an average year, Temple Basin clocks about 838 cm of snow. This year, the snow gods aren’t playing ball.
A Wider Warning
Two closures in one week aren’t just bad luck—they’re a signal. 2024 was officially the hottest year ever recorded on Earth, averaging 1.55 °C warmer than pre-industrial levels. Temperatures have jumped by more than 0.4 °C in the last two years alone, and climate scientists warn that warming of this pace will continue to hit snow-reliant industries hard.
Across the globe, small-to-mid-sized ski areas are finding it harder to survive. New Zealand has already seen how heavy rain events and higher freezing levels strip snowpacks quickly—Tūroa on Mt Ruapehu being a prime example.
What’s unfolding at Temple Basin and Mt Cheeseman could well be a glimpse of the new normal. For now, both fields will sit out the season, hoping for deeper, colder winters ahead. But if the trends continue, the challenge won’t just be one season lost—it’ll be the very future of snow sports in Aotearoa.
Cheesman image Facebook
