Missing snow puts famed New Zealand ski areas on precipice
New Zealand’s Tūroa ski area closed three weeks early because it has hardly any snow
TŪROA SKI AREA, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand’s Tūroa ski area is usually a white wonderland at this time of year, its deep snowpack supporting its famed spring skiing. This season, it's largely a barren moonscape, with tiny patches of snow poking out between vast fields of jagged volcanic boulders.
The ski area was forced to close for the season this week, three weeks earlier than planned.
Rain repeatedly washed away the snow, and the ski area's 50 snowmaking machines proved no match against balmy temperatures. Climate change appears to be a significant factor, after New Zealand experienced its warmest winter on record — for the third year in a row.
The disastrous snow season comes after the previous two seasons were severely disrupted by COVID-19, leaving Tūroa and its sister ski area Whakapapa on the brink of bankruptcy.
