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A number of Victorian ski resorts have decided to end their winter season early due to a snow shortage, as unfavourable weather forced lift closures and event cancellations at a time when snow should be at its thickest.

The smaller Victorian resorts of Mount Stirling, Lake Mountain Alpine Resort and Mount Baw Baw will end the season early, shutting down from Sunday due to a lack of snow.

Snow cams at Hotham show a lack of snow coverage at the resort this week.Credit: Vail Resorts

Mount Buller was operating nine out of 19 lifts in areas supported by snow-making this week and Mount Hotham was expected to open six out of its 12 lifts on Wednesday.

Neither Buller nor Hotham has seen significant snowfall in more than a week, and the short-term forecast at both resorts was for rain, warm temperatures and no snow.

Mount Buller spokesperson Rhylla Morgan said staying open throughout September would depend on improved weather conditions next month.

“We’ll have to see just what happens with the weather in the next couple of weeks, whether that’s possible,” she said.

“This year coverage is significantly reduced. If the conditions simply aren’t suitable, we may close early.”

Mount Buller has responded to unfavourable conditions this season by offering reduced lift price tickets, as green slopes emerge on mountaintops that visitors would usually expect to see coated in snow.

Operators had to lay off some seasonal staff and cancel the Snow Australia Interschool sports that was scheduled to take place next week. School programs will go ahead as planned, albeit in less-than-favourable conditions.

Morgan said Mount Buller operator’s investment in snowmaking traditionally meant it was one of the few resorts that could guarantee skiing all season and remained “one of the last resorts standing”.

She said the end of August usually meant more snow on the ground than throughout the rest of winter – the most favourable conditions for skiers and snowboarders.

“The bit that we can’t control is the mother nature piece about how much snow we get,” she said.

A warm winter was having a similar effect at Falls Creek, where no snow has fallen in 10 days. None of the resort’s 15 lifts were expected to open this week.

The Kangaroo Hoppet is an international cross-country skiing competition that was meant to take place around Falls Creek and Mount Beauty, but was cancelled at the last minute last week.

A spokesperson from Vail Resorts, which owns Falls Creek and Hotham, said it had been a challenging season.

“This season, we have experienced some weather-related challenges, including wind events and some variable conditions,” the spokesperson said.

“Regardless, our teams have worked hard to provide a great guest experience. We’re committed to keeping as much terrain as possible open, for as long as possible, with safety as our No.1 priority.”

Mount Stirling spokesperson Andre Philbrick said the decision to end the winter season early was “due to the low snow conditions and warm forecast”.

Falls Creek and other snow resorts saw a promising start to the season in June, before unseasonably warm and dry conditions set in.Credit: Bridget Halsall

Philbrick said guests would be able to visit Mount Stirling at no cost and would not be required to carry chains from September 4.

He said the entrance gate at Telephone Box Junction would remain closed until just before Melbourne Cup weekend, in line with the other agencies.

“Thanks for winter 2023,” Philbrick wrote on social media.

It comes after snow fell as early as February this year, during a cold blast in the middle of summer. In 2022, almost a metre of snow fell at Mt Buller – the deepest snow level ever recorded for a Queen’s Birthday long weekend.

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