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Cardrona Alpine Resort ski resort

Part of Wanaka · 2 ski areas

Treble Cone
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Ikon PassView resorts
Tier B — Favored

📷 Cardrona Alpine Resort

Oceania

Cardrona Alpine Resort

56

Excellent

↗improving

Last Snowfall

Aug 28

today

Past 24 Hours

50cm

Reported by Cardrona Alpine Resort

Past 48 Hours

50cm

Past 10 Days

76cm

14-Day Forecast

46.2cm

Snow Depth

100cm

Resort reported (website)
🎿

Powder Days

5

2026 season

Updated: Aug 28, 8:02 AM•Weather at base: 1260m

Overview

Cardrona Alpine Resort is a ski resort in Oceania, New Zealand. Today's SnowSure™ Score is 56/100 (Excellent), snow base 100 cm (39.4 in), 50 cm (19.7 in) of new snow in the last 24 hours. The 14-day ensemble forecast across seven weather models (ECMWF, GFS, GEM, JMA, ICON, Météo-France, Met Norway) calls for ~46 cm (18.1 in) of new snow. Conditions last updated 2026-08-28 08:02 UTC.

Resort Guide

Cardrona Alpine Resort is located in the Southern Alps of New Zealand, between Queenstown and Wānaka. The resort features over 400 hectares of skiable terrain, catering to all ability levels with wide-open beginner slopes, challenging advanced runs, and extensive terrain parks. Cardrona is known for its relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere, modern facilities, and reliable snow conditions, making it a popular choice for both recreational skiers and professional athletes. Key amenities include on-mountain accommodation, multiple dining options, and a comprehensive snowsports school.

Resort Info

Summit1909m
Base1260m
Vertical649m
Lifts6/10
Runs0/47
Skiable Area852.5 acres
Average snowfall114 inches / 290 cm
CountryNew Zealand
Visit Resort Website →Follow on Instagram →View Trail Map →

Season dates

OpenedJune 26, 2026
Projected closingOctober 11, 2026

Future dates are operator estimates and may change.

Ski passes

Ikon Pass

Ikon Pass

View resorts →

Access tiers change by season — confirm benefits on the pass operator's site.

Top Après Ski

Cardrona Hotel – Renowned for its historic charm and welcoming atmosphere, this iconic bar and restaurant offers hearty après-ski fare, local craft beers, and a cozy fireside setting, making it a favorite gathering spot for skiers and snowboarders after a day on the slopes.

SnowSure™ ScoreAI
56
Excellent
↑improving

Fresh powder! 50cm in the last 24 hours.

Current conditions at Cardrona Alpine Resort are looking great with a snow depth of 100cm and 76cm of fresh snow in the last week. Today, temperatures are a chilly -5°C, and mainly clear skies make for pleasant skiing conditions. The 14-day forecast suggests an average of 46cm more snow on the way, with some models predicting as much as 97cm.

AI-generated summary
↓

Depth

100cm depth — upper mountain may be better.

✓

Recent

In the past week, 76cm of new snow has fallen.

↓

Forecast

The 14-day outlook indicates an average of 46cm of additional snowfall.

—

Historic

Season-to-date snowfall is at 99% of the 5-year average of 114cm.

Data updated Fri, Aug 28, 08:02 AM UTC

Snow Summary

1909mECMWF Model

Updated Aug 28, 2026 at 8:02 AM

76cm
24h
46cm
Past 10d
14-Day Forecast
76
Prev10d
11.6
Now28
1.5
S29
3.6
S30
2.7
M31
0.1
T1
6.8
W2
7.6
T3
Past
Today
Forecast

Snowfall Forecast Maps

New Zealand region

Current Conditions

Reported Fri, Aug 28, 08:02 AM UTC

Depth by source

every reading we have
  • Resort ReportedBase 100cm · Mid 100cm
  • Open-MeteoBase 24cm · Summit 24cm

The headline depth uses the most trusted available source. We show every reading so you can judge for yourself.

Freezing Level

1106m

❄️ Below base - cold & dry snow expected

Base

1260m

Temp

-1°C

Wind

2.6km/h

Snow Depth

100cm

Resort reported (website)

Resort 100cm · Model 24cm

14-Day Forecast

27cm

Mid-Mountain

1585m

Temp

--°C

Wind

3km/h

Snow Depth

100cm

Resort reported (website)

14-Day Forecast

46.1cm

Summit

1909m

Temp

-5.2°C

Wind

2.6km/h

Snow Depth

100cm

Open-Meteo model

14-Day Forecast

17.4cm

Ops signals

  • ●Freezing level below base — snowmaking window open
  • ●Fresh snow + cold temps — good grooming window next 48h
  • ●Cold summit temps — snow preservation favorable

Lifts Open

6/10
60%

open

Runs Open

0/47
0%

open

El Niño Outlook · Winter 2026

Cardrona Alpine Resort El Niño rank & forecast

Cardrona Alpine Resort ranks #127 of 488 SnowSure resorts — Tier B, +7% in strong El Niño winters.

Tier B — Favored: Modest El Niño upside (+3% to +8% vs normal). Often a solid pick, without the biggest Andes-style swings.

#127 of 488Tier B — Favored

Strong-event signal: +7% vs this resort's 30-yr avg

In the three strongest El Niño winters on record ('97-98, '15-16, '23-24), Cardrona Alpine Resort averaged +7% versus its own 30-year snowfall baseline. The pattern has historically leaned mildly in this resort's favor for winter 2026. Analog winters: '97-98 -21%, '15-16 +11%, '23-24 +30%. A pattern, not a promise.

'97-98 −21%'15-16 +11%'23-24 +30%

In-season scorecard

Predicted signal

+7%

Measured to date

+44%

Season total

113 cm

Vs predicted

+38%

Predicted signal vs measured season-to-date against this resort's own climatology.

Signal = average snowfall in the three strongest El Niño winters since 1996 ('97-98, '15-16, '23-24) vs this resort's own 30-year ERA5 baseline. n=3 — a lean, not a law. Updated monthly against measured snowfall Dec–Mar.

Full El Niño report →

Live Conditions

Cardrona Alpine Resort Webcams

All Webcams

Cardrona Alpine Resort

Cardrona Alpine Resort

Cardrona Alpine Resort

3 webcams • Click to expand

Avalanche

No bulletin for this mountain

No official warning service is mapped for this resort’s country yet (v1 covers the United States, Canada and Switzerland). A bulletin may still be published locally.

SnowSure relays the official avalanche bulletin and does not issue avalanche forecasts. Read the full bulletin at the issuer’s link and make your own terrain decisions. Not a substitute for avalanche education, equipment, or local knowledge.

Local Reports

0 reports
SnowSure™ Forecast Range

Daily Snowfall Forecast by Model

Black line = verified SnowSure™ blend (not a simple average). Weights update weekly from measured snowfall at SNOTEL stations and resort reports.

SnowSure™ blend — verified model weighting

The black line is not a simple average. For Cardrona Alpine Resort (southern alps), we combine seven global weather models using weights learned from daily forecast verification — comparing each model's prediction to measured snowfall (SNOTEL, resort reports, ERA5).

  • 1.Horizon buckets: days 1–3, 4–7, and 8–14 each get separate weights — short-range skill differs from long-range.
  • 2.Regional calibration: weights come from verified error in this geography (Rockies, Alps, Japan, etc.), recalculated weekly.
  • 3.Ground truth only: we never grade a forecast against another model — only against measured snow.

Building verification history for this resort.

How we verify forecasts →

Hourly Forecast Detail

AM / PM / Night breakdown with wind and freezing level

NWP models refresh up to 4× daily · Last synced Aug 28, 8:02 AM

Hourly Forecast Detail
 
Today
-2 / -84.6cm6.5mm
Sat, Aug 29
-4 / -91.8cm2.7mm
Sun, Aug 30
-3 / -73.3cm4.7mm
Mon, Aug 31
-4 / -122.4cm3.4mm
Tue, Sep 1
-2 / -15
Wed, Sep 2
-1 / -56.8cm9.8mm
PeriodAMPMNightAMPMNightAMPMNightAMPMNightAMPMNightAMPMNight
Snow (cm)0.40.14.100.11.71.30.71.31.10.80.50001.84.30.7
Precip (mm)0.50.15.900.22.51.911.81.51.20.70002.66.21
Temp (°C)-4-3-5-7-4-7-4-4-7-5-6-8-11-3-9-3-2-4
Wind (km/h)2224215856129735332
Gusts (km/h)302831303134525848586757394045355344

14-Day Snow Forecast by Model

Summit elevation (1909m)

ECMWF
77.5cm
GFS
96.5cm
GEM
0cm
JMA
17.4cm
ICON
1.8cm
Météo-Fr
0.2cm
SnowSure™
46.2cm

10-Day Forecast

Today

28

❄️

-2.5°

-7.6°

11.6cm

3 km/h

Sat

29

❄️

-3.8°

-9°

1.5cm

4 km/h

Sun

30

❄️

-2.9°

-7.5°

3.6cm

9 km/h

Mon

31

❄️

-4.3°

-12.4°

2.7cm

13 km/h

Tue

1

☁️

-2.4°

-15.1°

0.1cm

8 km/h

Wed

2

🌧️

-1.1°

-5°

6.8cm

6 km/h

Thu

3

🌧️

0.1°

-2.3°

7.6cm

5 km/h

Fri

4

❄️

-0.6°

-4.6°

12.9cm

11 km/h

Sat

5

❄️

-2.6°

-7.7°

7.4cm

5 km/h

Sun

6

❄️

-5.4°

-11.6°

22.1cm

9 km/h

Summit elevation (1909m) • ECMWF model

Season vs Historic

Updated Fri, Aug 28, 08:02 AM UTC

112.8cm

Season Total

This Season to Date

-1%

vs 5-Year Avg

114cm avg by now

+39%

vs 30-Year Avg

81cm avg by now

114cm

5-Yr Avg by Now

This season is at 112.8 cm to date. The last completed season totaled ~112.9 cm. That's near the 5-year average (114 cm). Versus the 30-year baseline: 39% above the 30-year average (81 cm).

Cardrona Alpine Resort Snow History

Average annual snowfall is 145cm with an average of 59 snowfall days per season. The table below shows monthly averages across 31 seasons of archive data (modeled snowpack at mid-elevation).

Average monthly snowfall history
MonthAvg SnowfallSnowfall DaysAvg Base DepthMax Base DepthBiggest Snowfall
June23.2cm9 days10cm20cm8.9cm
July30.5cm12 days20cm29cm9.4cm
August27.1cm12 days20cm29cm8.7cm
September30.5cm11 days9cm22cm8.9cm
October25.7cm9 days2cm14cm9.2cm

Source: SnowSure archive · Open-Meteo ERA5 reanalysis at mid-elevation. Depth is modeled, not resort-reported.

Season at a Glance

Current season(2026)

Opened Jun 26, 2026

Scheduled close: Oct 11, 2026

Multi-season averages will appear once SnowSure has tracked more than one full season.

ENSO seasonal analog

History · not a forecast

In 5 past El Niño winters at Cardrona Alpine Resort, ERA5 season snowfall median was 123 cm (48 in), about 14% below this resort’s long-term median. This is a historical analog from reanalysis — not a prediction of this winter’s storm track.

Prevailing ONI

El Niño

MJJ 2026 · ANOM +1.39°C

Analog season median

123 cm

5 El Niño winters · 14% below median

All-season median

142 cm

Across 30 ERA5 seasons (2026)

PhaseSeasonsMedianp25–p75Recent analogs
El Niñocurrent5123 cm117 cm – 163 cm2023, 2015, 2009, 2002, 1997
La Niña4123 cm104 cm – 164 cm2022, 2010, 1999, 1998
ENSO-neutral21144 cm100 cm – 172 cm2025, 2024, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018

Season snowfall from Open-Meteo ERA5 reanalysis (~9 km). ENSO phase from NOAA CPC Oceanic Niño Index. Relative phase differences are more trustworthy than absolute cm totals. Source: NOAA CPC Oceanic Niño Index + Open-Meteo ERA5 via SnowSure season archive.

Best Months to Visit

August

Peak Season

July

Peak Season

September

Good

June

Good

Note: Based on typical ski season patterns for this region.

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Frequently asked questions about Cardrona Alpine Resort

Where is Cardrona Alpine Resort?
Cardrona Alpine Resort is a ski resort in New Zealand.
How high is Cardrona Alpine Resort?
Cardrona Alpine Resort runs from a base elevation of 1,260 m (4,134 ft) to a summit of 1,909 m (6,263 ft), giving a vertical drop of 649 m (2,129 ft).
How big is Cardrona Alpine Resort?
Cardrona Alpine Resort has 853 acres (345 hectares) of skiable terrain, 47 marked runs and 10 lifts.
Which ski pass covers Cardrona Alpine Resort?
Cardrona Alpine Resort is on the Ikon Pass. Access terms such as blackout dates and day limits vary by pass tier, so check the pass operator for the current season.
When is ski season at Cardrona Alpine Resort?
Cardrona Alpine Resort typically operates from June to October. Exact opening and closing dates shift each year with snowfall — check the resort's current season dates before booking.
How much snow does Cardrona Alpine Resort get in a typical season?
Cardrona Alpine Resort averages 114 inches / 290 cm of snowfall in a typical season. Any individual season can run well above or below that.
How will El Niño affect Cardrona Alpine Resort in winter 2026?
El Niño Signal Rank: #127 of 488 SnowSure resorts · Tier B · strong-event signal +7% vs its own 30-yr average. In the three strongest El Niño winters on record ('97-98, '15-16, '23-24), Cardrona Alpine Resort averaged +7% versus its own 30-year snowfall baseline. The pattern has historically leaned mildly in this resort's favor for winter 2026. Analog winters: '97-98 -21%, '15-16 +11%, '23-24 +30%. A pattern, not a promise.

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