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Ōhau ski resort
Tier D — Late bloomer — aim Feb–Mar

📷 Ōhau

Oceania

Ōhau

53

Excellent

→stable

Last Snowfall

Aug 31

today

Past 24 Hours

0.6cm

Reported by Ōhau

Past 48 Hours

1.5cm

Past 10 Days

71cm

14-Day Forecast

43.1cm

Snow Depth

55cm

Resort reported (website)
🎿

Powder Days

13

2026 season

☀️

Bluebird Days

1

2026 season

Updated: Aug 31, 11:05 AM•Weather at base: 1425m

Overview

Ōhau is a ski resort in Oceania, New Zealand. Today's SnowSure™ Score is 53/100 (Excellent), snow base 55 cm (21.7 in), 52 cm (20.5 in) of snow in the last 7 days. The 14-day ensemble forecast across seven weather models (ECMWF, GFS, GEM, JMA, ICON, Météo-France, Met Norway) calls for ~43 cm (16.9 in) of new snow. Conditions last updated 2026-08-31 11:05 UTC.

Resort Guide

Ōhau Snow Fields is located in the Southern Alps of New Zealand, between Christchurch and Queenstown, offering panoramic views over Lake Ōhau. The resort features a relaxed, friendly atmosphere with uncrowded slopes, catering to skiers and snowboarders of all abilities across 125 hectares of skiable terrain. Signature experiences include wide-open groomed runs, powder bowls, and a renowned learners’ area, complemented by the on-mountain Ōhau Lodge providing accommodation, dining, and après-ski amenities. The resort stands out for its natural alpine setting, welcoming vibe, and exceptional lake and mountain vistas.

Resort Info

Summit1929m
Base1425m
Vertical504m
Lifts0/3
Runs15
Skiable Area308.9 acres
Average snowfall120 inches / 305 cm
CountryNew Zealand
Visit Resort Website →

Season dates

OpenedJune 27, 2026
Projected closingOctober 4, 2026

Future dates are operator estimates and may change.

Top Après Ski

The Lodge at Lake Ohau – Renowned for its cozy lounge and bar, this venue offers a welcoming après-ski atmosphere with stunning lake and mountain views, hearty meals, and a convivial setting where skiers gather to unwind by the fire after a day on the slopes.

SnowSure™ ScoreAI
53
Excellent
→stable

Strong season with 202cm total snowfall.

Current conditions at Ōhau are quite favorable with a snow depth of 55cm and recent snowfall totaling 52cm over the past week. Although there's been no new snow in the last 24 hours, the forecast indicates an average of 43cm over the next 14 days, suggesting continued good skiing opportunities.

AI-generated summary
✓

Depth

55cm depth — good coverage on most runs.

—

Recent

In the past week, 52cm of new snow has fallen, enhancing the conditions.

—

Forecast

The 14-day snow outlook predicts an average of 43cm, with some models suggesting up to 63cm.

—

Historic

Season-to-date snowfall is at 202cm, which is about 86% of the 5-year average of 234cm.

Data updated Mon, Aug 31, 11:05 AM UTC

Snow Summary

1929mECMWF Model

Updated Aug 31, 2026 at 11:05 AM

71cm
24h
43cm
Past 10d
14-Day Forecast
71
Prev10d
0.9
Now31
0.1
T1
0.2
W2
—
T3
1.1
F4
3.4
S5
35.8
S6
Past
Today
Forecast

Snowfall Forecast Maps

New Zealand region

Current Conditions

Reported Mon, Aug 31, 11:05 AM UTC

Depth by source

every reading we have
  • Resort ReportedBase 55cm · Summit 55cm
  • Open-MeteoBase 71cm · Summit 71cm

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

Freezing Level

-144m

❄️ Below base - cold & dry snow expected

Base

1425m

Temp

-10.2°C

Wind

6km/h

Snow Depth

55cm

Resort reported (website)

Resort 55cm · Model 71cm

14-Day Forecast

28.5cm

Mid-Mountain

1677m

Temp

--°C

Wind

7km/h

Snow Depth

55cm

Resort reported (website)

14-Day Forecast

43.1cm

Summit

1929m

Temp

-13.5°C

Wind

6km/h

Snow Depth

55cm

Resort reported (website)

Resort 55cm · Model 71cm

14-Day Forecast

52.3cm

Ops signals

  • ●Freezing level below base — snowmaking window open
  • ●Cold summit temps — snow preservation favorable

Lifts Open

0/3
100%

open

El Niño Outlook · Winter 2026

Ōhau El Niño rank & forecast

Ōhau ranks #307 of 488 SnowSure resorts — Tier D, −7% in strong El Niño winters.

Tier D — Late bloomer — aim Feb–Mar: Often a bit lighter early (−3% to −8% vs normal). History favors waiting for peak-depth months (often Feb–Mar) rather than skipping the resort.

#307 of 488Tier D — Late bloomer — aim Feb–Mar

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), Ōhau averaged -7% versus its own 30-year snowfall baseline. Historically this is a timing play rather than a reason to stay home: aim for late winter (February–March) in winter 2026. Analog winters: '97-98 -44%, '15-16 -19%, '23-24 +44%. A pattern, not a promise.

'97-98 −45%'15-16 −19%'23-24 +44%

In-season scorecard

Predicted signal

−7%

Measured to date

+53%

Season total

202 cm

Vs predicted

+59%

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

Ōhau Webcams

All Webcams

Ōhau Snow Fields

Ōhau Snow Fields

Ōhau Snow Fields

Ōhau Snow Fields

Ōhau Snow Fields

5 webcams • Click to expand

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 Ōhau (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 31, 11:05 AM

Hourly Forecast Detail
 
Today
-3 / -130.8cm1.2mm
Tue, Sep 1
-3 / -17
Wed, Sep 2
2 / -36.2cm10.3mm
Thu, Sep 3
2 / 03.7cm13mm
Fri, Sep 4
2 / -44.8cm28.8mm
Sat, Sep 5
0 / -44.5cm6.3mm
PeriodAMPMNightAMPMNightAMPMNightAMPMNightAMPMNightAMPMNight
Snow (cm)0.10.700001.52.22.50.303.43.60.40.80.61.32.6
Precip (mm)0.2100002.14.63.60.83.88.45.10.623.10.81.83.7
Temp (°C)-5-4-7-11-3-10-21-1121-2-2-1-2-1-3
Wind (km/h)1010109109121713510991512101310
Gusts (km/h)596154435550718573466060797876747480

14-Day Snow Forecast by Model

Summit elevation (1929m)

ECMWF
62.8cm
GFS
47.2cm
GEM
0.8cm
JMA
35.9cm
ICON
50cm
Météo-Fr
0.6cm
SnowSure™
43.1cm

10-Day Forecast

Today

31

❄️

-3.1°

-13.5°

0.9cm

13 km/h

Tue

1

☁️

-2.8°

-16.8°

0.1cm

14 km/h

Wed

2

❄️

1.5°

-2.8°

0.2cm

20 km/h

Thu

3

🌧️

2°

0.2°

13 km/h

Fri

4

❄️

2.3°

-4°

1.1cm

17 km/h

Sat

5

❄️

-0.5°

-3.6°

3.4cm

15 km/h

Sun

6

❄️

-1.3°

-4°

35.8cm

21 km/h

Mon

7

☁️

-4.4°

-8.4°

0.2cm

13 km/h

Tue

8

☁️

-0.5°

-9.5°

8 km/h

Wed

9

❄️

-1.6°

-8.3°

16.9cm

15 km/h

Summit elevation (1929m) • ECMWF model

Season vs Historic

Updated Mon, Aug 31, 11:05 AM UTC

202.4cm

Season Total

This Season to Date

-14%

vs 5-Year Avg

234cm avg by now

+53%

vs 30-Year Avg

132cm avg by now

234cm

5-Yr Avg by Now

This season is at 202.4 cm to date. The last completed season totaled ~201.2 cm. That's 14% below the 5-year average (234 cm). Versus the 30-year baseline: 52% above the 30-year average (132 cm).

Ōhau Snow History

Average annual snowfall is 239cm with an average of 72 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
June35.7cm12 days14cm27cm13.2cm
July51.2cm14 days30cm43cm14.2cm
August45.8cm15 days37cm49cm14.5cm
September52.8cm14 days23cm41cm15cm
October40.4cm12 days7cm24cm14.9cm

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 27, 2026

Scheduled close: Oct 4, 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 Ōhau, ERA5 season snowfall median was 152 cm (60 in), about 17% 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

152 cm

5 El Niño winters · 17% below median

All-season median

184 cm

Across 30 ERA5 seasons (2026)

PhaseSeasonsMedianp25–p75Recent analogs
El Niñocurrent5152 cm149 cm – 194 cm2023, 2015, 2009, 2002, 1997
La Niña4161 cm145 cm – 252 cm2022, 2010, 1999, 1998
ENSO-neutral21194 cm164 cm – 345 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 Ōhau

Where is Ōhau?
Ōhau is a ski resort in New Zealand.
How high is Ōhau?
Ōhau runs from a base elevation of 1,425 m (4,675 ft) to a summit of 1,929 m (6,329 ft), giving a vertical drop of 504 m (1,654 ft).
How big is Ōhau?
Ōhau has 309 acres (125 hectares) of skiable terrain, 15 marked runs and 3 lifts.
When is ski season at Ōhau?
Ōhau 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 Ōhau get in a typical season?
Ōhau averages 120 inches / 305 cm of snowfall in a typical season. Any individual season can run well above or below that.
How will El Niño affect Ōhau in winter 2026?
El Niño Signal Rank: #307 of 488 SnowSure resorts · Tier D · 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), Ōhau averaged -7% versus its own 30-year snowfall baseline. Historically this is a timing play rather than a reason to stay home: aim for late winter (February–March) in winter 2026. Analog winters: '97-98 -44%, '15-16 -19%, '23-24 +44%. A pattern, not a promise.

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