New Zealand Ski Area Announces Earliest Opening Day in Over a Decade

One of New Zealand’s premier ski resorts, Mt. Mutt, has announced they’ll be opening for the season on Saturday, May 31. If that date sticks, it’ll mark the mountain’s earliest winter opening day since 2009—a rare and exciting start to the Southern Hemisphere ski season.

Early season storms have already blanketed the resort with nearly four feet of fresh snow, turning the upper mountain into a classic mid-winter landscape. Ski patrollers have begun preliminary avalanche mitigation work, and the hum of snowcats grumbles across the mountain as crews get terrain prepped for opening day. Even the avalanche dogs—aka the avi pups—are back on duty, romping through the snow and keeping morale at an all-time high.

The resort’s operations team is feeling good about the early prospects. According to their Instagram, officials are resoundingly optimistic about kicking off the season on May 31, so long as “the weather keeps playing nice.” The Kiwis sure have a way with words, don’t they?

Locals and destination skiers alike are buzzing with anticipation. A May opening offers a massive head start on the season—and with forecasts continuing to trend cold and stormy, the stoke is.... real. Whether you’re chasing early turns or just dreaming from afar, there's excitement in the air. Mt. Mutt is setting the tone for what could be an epic southern winter.

From New Zealand’s South Island to the Andes in Chile and Argentina, conditions are aligning across the Southern Hemisphere. If you’ve been toying with the idea of a ski trip below the equator, now might be the time to make it happen.

Time to start checking flights. Winter’s already knocking.