📷 Cardrona Alpine Resort
Oceania
Cardrona Alpine Resort
Limited
→stable
Scroll for happiness
Last Snowfall
Jul 14
todayPast 24 Hours
8cm
Reported by Cardrona Alpine ResortPast 48 Hours
8cm
Past 10 Days
22.2cm
14-Day Forecast
12.7cm
Snow Depth
37cm
Powder Days
2
2026 season
Overview
Cardrona Alpine Resort is a ski resort in Oceania, New Zealand. Today's SnowSure™ Score is 17/100 (Limited), snow base 37 cm (14.6 in), 8 cm (3.1 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 ~13 cm (5.1 in) of new snow. Conditions last updated 2026-07-14 05:01 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.
Gallery
Click to expand • 3 total photos
Terrain & lifts
Resort-reported stats for Cardrona Alpine Resort
Lifts
10
Skiable area
1520 ac
Longest run
4.5 km / 2.8 mi
Runs by difficulty(47 total)
Beginner
9
20% of terrain
Intermediate
12
25% of terrain
Advanced
14
30% of terrain
Expert
12
25% of terrain
Run counts estimated from resort-reported totals and terrain mix.
Terrain by difficulty
- Beginner20%
- Intermediate25%
- Advanced30%
- Expert25%
Lift fleet
- Chondola1
- High-speed quad3
- Quad chair1
- Surface lift1
Resort Info
Season dates
Future dates are operator estimates and may change.
Ski passes
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.
Adequate snow - check forecasts before booking.
Cardrona Alpine Resort is experiencing moderate drizzle with a current temperature of -5°C. The snow depth stands at 7cm, with a total of 10cm of new snow in the past week, indicating a slow start to the season. Looking ahead, the 14-day forecast suggests an average of 20cm of additional snowfall, with some models predicting up to 37cm.
AI-generated summaryDepth
37cm depth — upper mountain may be better.
Recent
In the last 7 days, 9cm of snow has fallen, including 4cm in the past 24 hours.
Forecast
The 14-day snow outlook suggests an average of 13cm, with the ECMWF model predicting up to 29cm.
Historic
So far this season, the snow total of 32cm is 67% of the 5-year to-date average of 48cm.
Data updated Tue, Jul 14, 05:01 AM UTC
Snow Summary
Updated Jul 14, 2026 at 5:01 AM
Historical data from Open-Meteo archive • Forecast from ECMWF IFS model
Snowfall Forecast Maps
New Zealand region
Current Conditions
Reported Tue, Jul 14, 05:01 AM UTC
Depth by source
every reading we have- Resort ReportedBase 37cm · Mid 37cm
- Open-MeteoBase 7cm · Summit 7cm
The headline depth uses the most trusted available source. We show every reading so you can judge for yourself.
Freezing Level
1075m
❄️ Below base - cold & dry snow expected
Base
1260m
Temp
-1.2°C
Wind
2.6km/h
Snow Depth
37cm
Resort reported
Resort 37cm · Model 7cm
14-Day Forecast
17.7cm
Mid-Mountain
1585m
Temp
--°C
Wind
3km/h
Snow Depth
37cm
Resort reported
14-Day Forecast
12.7cm
Summit
1909m
Temp
-5.5°C
Wind
2.6km/h
Snow Depth
37cm
Resort reported
14-Day Forecast
20.1cm
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
open
Runs Open
Live Conditions
Cardrona Alpine Resort Webcams
Cardrona Alpine Resort
Cardrona Alpine Resort
Cardrona Alpine Resort
Local Reports
0 reportsDaily 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 Jul 14, 5:01 AM
Today -4 / -711.3cm16.2mm | Wed, Jul 15 -5 / -72.9cm4.2mm | Thu, Jul 16 -4 / -9 | Fri, Jul 17 -4 / -11 | Sat, Jul 18 -2 / -71.4cm1.9mm | Sun, Jul 19 -3 / -52.3cm3.2mm | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Period | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night |
| Snow (cm) | 2.9 | 7.6 | 0.8 | 1.7 | 1.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 | 1.3 | 0.1 | 0 | 2.2 |
| Precip (mm) | 4.2 | 10.8 | 1.2 | 2.5 | 1.7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 | 1.8 | 0.1 | 0 | 3.1 |
| Temp (°C) | -4 | -5 | -5 | -5 | -6 | -6 | -6 | -5 | -7 | -9 | -4 | -8 | -4 | -2 | -5 | -4 | -3 | -5 |
| Wind (km/h) | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Gusts (km/h) | 35 | 49 | 28 | 20 | 19 | 23 | 41 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 25 | 26 | 36 | 20 | 31 | 18 | 21 | 19 |
14-Day Snow Forecast by Model
Summit elevation (1909m)
10-Day Forecast
Today
14
❄️
-3.6°
-6.7°
11.3cm
3 km/h
Wed
15
❄️
-4.8°
-7°
2.9cm
3 km/h
Thu
16
☁️
-4.1°
-9.4°
0.1cm
6 km/h
Fri
17
⛅
-3.6°
-10.8°
5 km/h
Sat
18
🌧️
-1.7°
-6.6°
0.7cm
3 km/h
Sun
19
🌧️
-3.1°
-5.4°
2.9cm
2 km/h
Mon
20
☁️
-3°
-9.8°
5 km/h
Tue
21
☁️
-1.9°
-7.5°
2 km/h
Wed
22
☁️
-1.5°
-6.7°
0.1cm
4 km/h
Thu
23
☁️
-2.1°
-7.5°
2 km/h
Summit elevation (1909m) • ECMWF model
Season vs Historic
Updated Tue, Jul 14, 05:01 AM UTC
32cm
Season Total
This Season to Date
-35%
vs 5-Year Avg
49cm avg by now
-35%
vs 30-Year Avg
49cm avg by now
49cm
5-Yr Avg by Now
Over the past five years, average seasonal snowfall has been slightly below the 30-year average (11.5 cm vs. 12.9 cm), indicating a modest downward trend. However, the current season's snowfall is more than double both the 5-year and 30-year averages, representing a significant positive anomaly. This sharp increase follows several years of below-average snowfall, highlighting substantial year-to-year variability and a recent reversal of the declining trend.
Cardrona Alpine Resort Snow History
Average annual snowfall is 93cm with an average of 39 snowfall days per season. The table below shows monthly averages across 31 seasons of archive data (modeled snowpack at mid-elevation).
| Month | Avg Snowfall | Snowfall Days | Avg Base Depth | Max Base Depth | Biggest Snowfall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June | 16.2cm | 7 days | 10cm | 20cm | 8.1cm |
| July | 19.8cm | 8 days | 20cm | 29cm | 9.3cm |
| August | 18.6cm | 8 days | 20cm | 29cm | 8.5cm |
| September | 18.5cm | 7 days | 10cm | 22cm | 6.9cm |
| October | 16.6cm | 6 days | 3cm | 14cm | 9cm |
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.
Best Months to Visit
August
Peak Season
July
Peak Season
September
Good
June
Good
Note: Based on typical ski season patterns for this region.
