Skiing in March in The Southern Hemisphere

Can you ski in the southern hemisphere in March?

No, you cannot ski at any commercial resort in the southern hemisphere in March, and it is worth being blunt about it because the calendar trips a lot of travelers up. The seasons below the equator are flipped: March is the end of summer and the start of autumn in New Zealand, Australia, Chile and Argentina, the equivalent of September in Europe or North America. The mountains are green, the lifts are still, and the snowmaking guns will not run for months. The southern ski season runs roughly from mid June to mid October, with July and August as the heart of winter, so March falls squarely in the long off season.

The confusion is understandable. In the Northern Hemisphere, March is one of the best months of the entire ski year, with a deep settled base, long days and spring sun. Anyone applying that instinct to the southern hemisphere will find empty car parks and closed resorts. There is no high glacier skiing in the south to bridge the gap the way summer glacier skiing does in the Alps, so the off season is a genuine, total shutdown of the lifts.

If a tour operator or listing suggests March skiing somewhere south of the equator, treat it with suspicion. The fields simply do not have winter snow in March, and no amount of altitude changes that in a hemisphere where the cold months are still three to four months away.

When can you actually ski in the southern hemisphere?

You can ski the southern hemisphere from roughly mid June to mid October, with the peak running through July, August and into early September. New Zealand's major fields typically open in mid June and close around mid October, the higher ones holding latest. The Australian resorts run a similar June to early October window, and the South American fields in Chile and Argentina broadly mirror it, opening in June and skiing strongly through the August core.

For the best snow, target late July to early September, when the base is deepest and natural snowfall is most reliable across the south. June gives you opening weeks with fewer crowds but a thinner, building base, while late September and October hand you sunny spring corn as the season winds down. March belongs to none of these windows, so the practical move for a southern trip is to set your dates for the winter months and treat March purely as planning and booking time.

Where should I ski in March instead?

In March the skiing is all in the Northern Hemisphere, and it is excellent. The Alps, North America and Japan are deep into a strong late season, with a settled base, longer daylight and spring sun making March a favorite month for many skiers. If you want to be on snow in March, that is where you book, not the southern hemisphere. The high Alpine resorts in France, Switzerland, Austria and Italy ski superbly in March, as do the big North American mountains.

Use March as the month to plan and book a southern hemisphere trip rather than take one. Lodging and lift deals for the coming southern winter are often best secured early, and choosing your fields and dates now lets you target the late July to early September sweet spot when it arrives. New Zealand in particular rewards advance planning, since the marquee fields around Queenstown and Wanaka fill up for the peak weeks.

Which southern hemisphere resorts should I plan for once winter arrives?

For a southern winter trip, New Zealand's South Island is the standout, anchored by the resorts around Queenstown and Wanaka. Cardrona and Treble Cone above Wanaka offer big, varied terrain, while Coronet Peak and The Remarkables sit within easy reach of Queenstown's lively base town. Mt Hutt, inland from Christchurch, is high, snowy and one of the most reliable fields in the country. These are the mountains to research now and ski in the June to October window, not in March.

Plan the trip around the peak, aim your dates at late July to early September for the deepest snow, and build in a little flexibility because southern openings and closings move with the weather every year. A well planned southern winter week typically lands in the $4,000 to $8,000 per person band once long haul flights, transfers, lodging, lift passes and lessons are counted, so it pays to lock the right month rather than the wrong one.

March in The Southern Hemisphere: the case for and against

Where to ski in the Southern Hemisphere in March

For March we would point you first at these, each with our full review:

• Cardrona. A reliable, well served Wanaka field to plan for once the southern season opens in June, not in March.
• Treble Cone. Big, varied Wanaka terrain that skis best in the July to August core of the southern winter.
• Coronet Peak. The Queenstown field to target for the winter season, with snowmaking and an easy base town.
• Mt Hutt. High, snowy and one of the most reliable South Island fields once winter arrives in June.

Common questions