Australia is normally known for its warm, coastal towns and the sweltering sun that heats the Outback.
However, there are parts of Australia that will never see temperatures higher than about 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
Similar to the United States, Australia has an extremely diverse climate that varies depending on which part of the country you’re visiting.
Does It Snow In Australia?
Yes, it snows in Australia.
Most of the country has a warmer climate, but some parts of the country have cooler climates that also get more precipitation.
More than 80% of Australia receives fewer than 24 inches of rainfall each year.
Cities that are nestled in the mountains of Australia are more likely to see snow.
Many popular ski resorts make these Australian cities popular for avid skiers and snowboarders.
Some of the most common skiing locations are Mount Buller, Falls Creek, Smiggin Holes, Perisher Valley, Thredbo, Mount Baw Baw, and Charlotte Pass.
These cities see high amounts of precipitation, especially during the winter months.
Australia’s winter months are June, July, and August.
They’re also the country’s rainiest months, or snowiest depending on your location.
The Australian Alps are located in the southeastern part of the country and mark the highest point in the country.
The mountain range is over 6,561 feet above sea level, with the highest point of the mountain range reaching 7,309 feet.
The tallest mountain of the range is Mount Kosciuszko.
Australians flock to the mountain towns to snowboard, dog sled, tube, toboggan, and enjoy local winter festivals.
There are also amazing places to watch wildlife exclusive to the alpine region, some of which have special evolutionary traits that have been molded by their environment.
Australians look forward to many snowy activities each year once winter rolls around.
Tourists may assume that all Australians do is spend their time on the beaches, but there’s more to do in Australia than just lie in the sand or see kangaroos.
Australian Alps
The Australian Alps are made of ancient rock that has been slowly carved by time for 50 million years.
The mountain chain is in Southeastern Australia.
Thanks to their high altitude and closeness to the Antarctic Ocean, the peaks have a nearly permanent cover of pure, white snow.
This is the only glaciated area in the entire country, giving it some most unique landscapes and ecosystems.
Although the Australian Alps make up less than 0.3% of the entire Australian continent, it gets anywhere from a fifth to a fourth of the entire country’s precipitation.
The Australian Alps National Park is full of cultural experiences and unbelievable natural sights.
The Aboriginal peoples lived in the area for thousands of years before the English settlers claimed the land in the 1800s.
The Snowy Mountains are Australians’ go-to vacation spot when looking to get away from the dry, arid heat that the rest of Australia is known for.
Many different types of artists come to the mountains to gather inspiration, from dedicated scenery photographers to famous poets.
Inspired by his trip to the Snowy Mountains, Banjo Paterson wrote The Man from Snowy River.
The mountains will see visitors most commonly from June to October, with July and August being especially popular.
The Australian Alps see every type of skier, from young children who are hitting the slopes for the first time to master skiers and snowboarders who can’t get enough of the Snowy Mountains.
While there are plenty of outdoor activities to do in the mountains, skiing and snowboarding are the most common.
Many of Australia’s ski resorts are famous around the world thanks to their luxury, special features, and the Olympians and Paralympians who have trained on them.
Mount Buller
Mount Buller is a picturesque mountain town with beautiful waterfalls and high plains that make for the perfect backdrop of a winter wonderland.
Its ski resort has plenty of activities to fill your day of fun in the snow.
The winter brings frigid temperatures that can be anywhere from 28 degrees Fahrenheit to 39 degrees Fahrenheit and at least 11 to 14 days of precipitation each month.
Around town, there are many options for those who are in search of beautiful, snowy mountain views.
A scenic ski lift takes riders up the slopes of Mount Buller to give them a higher perspective of the mountain, without even needing to ski or hike.
History fanatics will love the National Alpine Museum of Australia, which is located in Mount Buller.
This free experience goes through the history of Australian skiing and educates patrons on vintage skiing fashion, the importance of skiing in Australia, and even famous alpine photos and films.
Skiers will love Mount Buller’s ski resort.
They have four different slopes for skiing and one for viewing the mountain.
Occasionally, the resort will hold late-night skiing seasons, which offer a view unlike any other in town.
From the top of the mountain at night, you can see the colorful twinkling lights of the city below.
The town normally has about 27 inches of snow covering the ground, with mountain slopes getting the most snow.
The resort takes special care of the snow by grooming and creating more whenever necessary.
However, the winter months bring more than enough snow.
For those looking to take the whole family, Mount Buller has special tours that are just for the kids.
You and your children can go through a self-guided tour of Gnome World, with audio from the town’s own app for your phone.
Falls Creek
The winters in Falls Creek are cold and filled with snow.
Falls Creek is the largest ski resort in Australia.
Winter covers the mountain town in snow and the heat of the summer sun reveals the gorgeous, green landscape beneath.
Falls Creek is a bit warmer than Mount Buller.
Their winters can bring temperatures of 29 to 39 degrees Fahrenheit.
However, Falls Creek typically only looks forward to about nine or 10 days of precipitation, and not all of it is snow.
Being a resort town, there are plenty of things to do in Falls Creek.
Winter is celebrated in Falls Creek with plenty of events and activities that give locals and tourists alike a way to enjoy the chilly air and white snow together.
During the winter months, the resort holds family-friendly street parties on Tuesday nights.
The town lights bonfires, toasts marshmallows, and enjoys music.
In September, the resort holds a Pride celebration week on the slopes where skiers are encouraged to wear their flags down the slopes, bringing a rainbow of color to the white slopes.
Starting in 2021, Falls Creek also holds the Feastival, which takes place over the course of two weekends.
The festival celebrates winter by serving warm food to fight off the winter chill, lighting fireworks to burst into colorful lights that reflect off the snow, and having wine, beer, and cheese tastings.
Feastival also boasts live music, with performances from the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra and Opera Scholars Australia.
Falls Creek’s love of the opera is something that you can witness during the extremely exclusive evening at Astra with Opera Scholars Australia.
Those looking to have an elegant night of culture will want to attend the event.
The meals are exquisite, including foods such as Wangaratta lamb and octopus with ponzu.
The musical selections include pieces from famous operas.
Mount Field National Park
Located in southern Tasmania, the Mount Field National Park has everything an outdoor lover could ever want to do.
Southern Tasmania is known to get a fair bit of snow in the winter seasons, which makes for the perfect place to ski.
From July to August, the park will see temperatures as low as 28 degrees Fahrenheit or as high as 44 degrees Fahrenheit.
During this season, they will see about 12 days of precipitation each month.
Throughout the year, the park experiences nearly 40 inches of rain.
Mount Field National Park is often referred to as the park for all four seasons thanks to the array of landscapes and activities that the park holds each year, such as caving, fishing, scuba diving, rock climbing, rafting, and skiing.
Multiple waterfalls can be found throughout the National Park.
Russell Falls is a magnificent three-tiered waterfall and is often considered to be one of the most beautiful waterfalls in all of Tasmania.
Mount Mawson is the mountain that is used for skiing and is where the ski resort sits.
It is an extremely affordable place to ski because it is completely run by volunteers.
Their dedication to skier safety and the preservation of the National Park is what keeps Mount Mawson running.
Mount Field National Park is the perfect place to get a taste of the diverse landscapes and ecosystems that live throughout Tasmania.
The winter season creates views that beg to be explored.
There are so many different things to see all over the park, including hidden gems such as otherworldly caves, relaxing thermal springs, and even historical sites sprinkled through the land.
Perisher Valley
Perisher Valley is best known for its winter wonderlands.
They will see temperatures between 24 degrees Fahrenheit and 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
Perisher Valley is home to the largest ski resort in the Southern Hemisphere.
The ski resort was once three different resorts that operated dependently until eventually creating one, massive ski resort because all three resorts shared Mount Perisher, Smiggin Holes, Blue Cow, and Guthega.
Perisher Valley has multiple events for night owls, such as Snowfest and weekly night skiing.
Snowfest is a Christmas celebration with decorations, fireworks, night skiing, and giveaways.
One of the most interesting parts about Perisher is their initiative to make winter sports more handicap accessible.
The organization Disabled Wintersport Australia was established in 1978 and is dedicated to getting more disabled skiers out on the slopes.
They have specialty equipment that is adaptive to each skier’s needs and instructors who have taught some of Australia’s finest Paralympians, such as Joany Badenhost and Mitchell Gourley.
The equipment includes things like sit-skis and outriggers.
Perisher Valley sits on Mount Kosciuszko and has been there since the 1950s.
The area had once been used for keeping cattle, resulting in deep depressions in the ground.
This allowed the gentle mountain slopes to be formed.
People have been on record as living in the area since some time after 1840, although no one is certain of an exact date.
Cradle Mountain
Cradle Mountain is located in Tasmania and is home to the gorgeous Lake Saint Clair.
The lakeside view of the mountain looks like a painting by Bob Ross.
Nature lovers swamp to Lake Saint Clair National Park thanks to all of its breathtaking views.
Although you may not be able to do any winter sports here, you can walk mesmerizing trails, explore the canyon of the park, and go on helicopter tours.
The park’s purpose is to act as a safe place for wildlife and different types of flora that only grow in the local region.
The animals that live in this park are some of the most unique animals in the world.
Platypus, echidnas, quolls, Tasmanian devils, and black currawong all call the park home.
There are more than 3.7 million acres of land that make up Lake Saint Clair National Park.
The most famous trail of the park is the Overland Track, which is nearly 50 miles and takes five to six days on foot in order to complete.
Along the way, hikers can take in breathtaking scenes of the snowy mountains and crystal-clear waters.
Mount Hotham
Mount Hotham is the snowiest mountain in the Victorian Alps of the Great Dividing Range.
Hotham, the ski resort that calls Mount Hotham home, is the highest resort in the country.
Anywhere you look atop Mount Hotham is going to take your breath away.
Hotham’s Alpine Nature Experience was started by French founder Jean-Francois, who wanted to help Australia’s citizens and tourists appreciate the untouched, Alpine beauty that surrounded them.
The Alpine Nature Experience is award winning and tourists love it.
They are proud and loyal members of the 1% for the Planet, alongside companies such as Patagonia.
Members of this coalition give 1% of all of their sales to organizations that are looking to save and better the planet.
In September, Hotham holds the Backcountry Festival.
This festival is fun for those who love to spend their time hiking in the snowy mountains.
Hotham’s main goal is to teach their patrons mountain safety, which makes it perfect for people who want to get into skiing for the first time.
Australia Loves Their Snowy Mountains
The snowy mountains of Australia show just how diverse the continent is.
The country may be known for hot savannahs and a dry climate, but the Australian Alps show tourists a whole different side of Australia.
Australians love going up to the mountains, so they can practice their favorite winter sports or explore the snowcapped peaks.
Simply being able to bask in the natural beauty of the landscapes is enough to make any Australian or visitor brave the cold.
Tasmania has many beautiful national parks that have their beauty enhanced by the wintertime snow.
Australia is a diverse country of climates and landscapes that are unlike anything else in the world.
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