Oceania
Snow Farm
Limited
→stable
Scroll for happiness
Last Snowfall
Aug 17
4d agoPast 24 Hours
0cm
Past 48 Hours
0cm
Past 10 Days
2.6cm
14-Day Forecast
24.3cm
Snow Depth
--
Overview
Snow Farm is a ski resort in Oceania, New Zealand. Today's SnowSure™ Score is 13/100 (Limited), 3 cm (1.2 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 ~24 cm (9.4 in) of new snow. Conditions last updated 2026-08-21 15:07 UTC.
Resort Guide
Snow Farm is located in the Cardrona Valley near Wanaka, New Zealand, and is the country’s premier cross-country ski area. The resort features over 55 kilometers of groomed trails suitable for all abilities, offering a tranquil alpine environment ideal for Nordic skiing, snowshoeing, and fat biking. Signature experiences include overnight stays in backcountry huts and a dedicated snow play area for families. Snow Farm stands out for its focus on cross-country skiing and unique backcountry hut accommodations in a scenic, high-country setting.
Gallery
Click to expand • 1 total photos
Terrain & lifts
Resort-reported stats for Snow Farm
Resort Info
Season dates
Future dates are operator estimates and may change.
Ski passes
Independent
Access tiers change by season — confirm benefits on the pass operator's site.
Top Après Ski
Unable to determine top apres ski place for this resort.
Limited conditions.
Depth
No reliable depth reading available.
Recent
In the past week, only 1cm of snow has fallen.
Forecast
The 14-day snow outlook suggests an average of 24cm of new snow.
Historic
Season-to-date snowfall of 35cm is 45% of the 5-year average of 79cm.
Data updated Fri, Aug 21, 03:07 PM UTC
Snow Summary
Updated Aug 21, 2026 at 3:07 PM
Historical data from Open-Meteo archive • Forecast from ECMWF IFS model
Snowfall Forecast Maps
New Zealand region
Current Conditions
Reported Fri, Aug 21, 03:07 PM UTC
Freezing Level
1397m
❄️ Below base - cold & dry snow expected
Base
1520m
Temp
-0.8°C
Wind
7.2km/h
Snow Depth
--
Open-Meteo model
14-Day Forecast
19.8cm
Mid-Mountain
1743m
Temp
--°C
Wind
8km/h
Snow Depth
--
Open-Meteo model
14-Day Forecast
24.3cm
Summit
1965m
Temp
-3.7°C
Wind
7.2km/h
Snow Depth
--
Open-Meteo model
14-Day Forecast
23.5cm
Ops signals
- ●Freezing level below base — snowmaking window open
- ●Fresh snow + cold temps — good grooming window next 48h
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 Snow Farm (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 21, 3:07 PM
Sat, Aug 22 3 / -51.3cm2.2mm | Sun, Aug 23 -3 / -712.5cm17.9mm | Mon, Aug 24 -1 / -7 | Tue, Aug 25 2 / -510.7cm15.9mm | Wed, Aug 26 -4 / -62.7cm3.9mm | Thu, Aug 27 -2 / -50.2cm0.3mm | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Period | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night |
| Snow (cm) | 0.9 | 0 | 0.4 | 3.7 | 1.7 | 7.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6.1 | 0.1 | 4.5 | 0.8 | 1.7 | 0.2 | 0 | 0.2 | 0 |
| Precip (mm) | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 5.3 | 2.4 | 10.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8.7 | 0.8 | 6.4 | 1.1 | 2.5 | 0.3 | 0 | 0.3 | 0 |
| Temp (°C) | -3 | 2 | -3 | -6 | -6 | -6 | -4 | -1 | -4 | -3 | 2 | -3 | -5 | -4 | -6 | -5 | -4 | -4 |
| Wind (km/h) | 8 | 13 | 7 | 15 | 18 | 10 | 11 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 19 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 3 |
| Gusts (km/h) | 46 | 52 | 44 | 69 | 76 | 53 | 53 | 63 | 55 | 50 | 67 | 59 | 23 | 19 | 28 | 14 | 19 | 17 |
14-Day Snow Forecast by Model
Summit elevation (1965m)
10-Day Forecast
Sat
22
🌧️
3.4°
-5°
16 km/h
Sun
23
❄️
-3.3°
-6.7°
12.7cm
20 km/h
Mon
24
☁️
-0.6°
-7°
0.1cm
18 km/h
Tue
25
❄️
2.3°
-4.6°
0.9cm
21 km/h
Wed
26
❄️
-3.6°
-6.4°
2.7cm
8 km/h
Thu
27
🌧️
-2°
-5.5°
0.6cm
8 km/h
Fri
28
🌧️
4.3°
-3.3°
6 km/h
Sat
29
🌧️
1.6°
-2.8°
11 km/h
Sun
30
🌧️
2.4°
-3.4°
21 km/h
Mon
31
☁️
3.6°
-2.4°
15 km/h
Summit elevation (1965m) • ECMWF model
Season vs Historic
Updated Fri, Aug 21, 03:07 PM UTC
35.2cm
Season Total
This Season to Date
-55%
vs 5-Year Avg
79cm avg by now
-49%
vs 30-Year Avg
69cm avg by now
79cm
5-Yr Avg by Now
This season is at 35.2 cm to date. The last completed season totaled ~35.6 cm. That's 55% below the 5-year average (79 cm). Versus the 30-year baseline: 48% below the 30-year average (69 cm).
Snow Farm Snow History
Average annual snowfall is 129cm with an average of 57 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 | 23.1cm | 9 days | 8cm | 17cm | 8.2cm |
| July | 26.3cm | 12 days | 15cm | 24cm | 8.5cm |
| August | 22.9cm | 12 days | 13cm | 22cm | 7.1cm |
| September | 25.8cm | 11 days | 5cm | 15cm | 8.3cm |
| October | 23.2cm | 9 days | 1cm | 10cm | 8.3cm |
Source: SnowSure archive · Open-Meteo ERA5 reanalysis at mid-elevation. Depth is modeled, not resort-reported.
Season at a Glance
Next season(2026)
Opens Jun 26, 2026
Through Sep 13, 2026
Multi-season averages will appear once SnowSure has tracked more than one full season.
ENSO seasonal analog
History · not a forecastIn 5 past El Niño winters at Snow Farm, ERA5 season snowfall median was 125 cm (49 in), about 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
125 cm
5 El Niño winters · ≈ long-term median
All-season median
125 cm
Across 30 ERA5 seasons (2026)
| Phase | Seasons | Median | p25–p75 | Recent analogs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Niñocurrent | 5 | 125 cm | 117 cm – 138 cm | 2023, 2015, 2009, 2002, 1997 |
| La Niña | 4 | 127 cm | 103 cm – 158 cm | 2022, 2010, 1999, 1998 |
| ENSO-neutral | 21 | 124 cm | 99 cm – 153 cm | 2025, 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.
Frequently asked questions about Snow Farm
- Where is Snow Farm?
- Snow Farm is a ski resort in New Zealand.
- How high is Snow Farm?
- Snow Farm runs from a base elevation of 1,520 m (4,987 ft) to a summit of 1,965 m (6,447 ft), giving a vertical drop of 445 m (1,460 ft).
- How big is Snow Farm?
- Snow Farm has 55 marked runs.
- Which ski pass covers Snow Farm?
- Snow Farm is on the Independent. 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 Snow Farm?
- Snow Farm typically operates from June to September. Exact opening and closing dates shift each year with snowfall — check the resort's current season dates before booking.
