Australia has just endured one of its worst alpine snow seasons on record, following its warmest winter, as forecasters warn a "Super El Niño" is strengthening in the Pacific and could bring one of the most intense such events since records began in 1950. Meteorologist Ben Domensino said snow arrived late and melted early, forcing resorts including Selwyn in New South Wales and Mt Baw Baw in Victoria to close ahead of schedule, while Thredbo Alpine Resort's valuation slumped from $292 million to $143 million. The trend matters because it points to a hotter, drier spring and summer ahead, raising the risk of bushfires and drought across the country.

New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania all recorded their warmest winter on record, with Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra posting their hottest winters since records began in 1859, 1855 and the 1920s respectively, at average temperatures of 15.29C, 12.18C and 8.14C. Every other capital city also ranked among its three warmest winters. The Bureau of Meteorology, which declared the Super El Niño in June, cautioned that while El Niño years typically bring lower peak snow depths and drier spring conditions to eastern Australia, the poor season and warm winter cannot be attributed to El Niño alone, as multiple climate factors are at play.