Areas in South America are opening for their 2021 winter this week, as the last area known to be still open for winter 20-21 in Asia, Gassan in Japan, nears the end of its 2021 run.

Vail Resorts (VR) will not reopen lift operations for skiing and snowboarding in 2020 at Falls Creek and Hotham in Australia following the Victorian government’s introduction of Stage 4 restrictions for Melbourne and Stage 3 restrictions for regional Victoria, which will be in place for six weeks.

There's not much snow yet, but ski resorts are preparing for a season like no other as thousands of snow aficionados head to the alpine region for winter.

Snow fell across the Victorian high country on Thursday as a wet and windy cold snap swept across Australia’s south-east.

It is snowing in Australia a month ahead of the start of the Australian ski season.

Most of the country’s leading ski areas have been reporting snowfalls which are expected to intensify over the next 48-72 hours with the heaviest snow for most coming on Thursday-Friday.