Why We Put Chairlifts on Wind Hold

19 July 2024

With the large cold front bringing fresh snow to Perisher this weekend, you may have heard the term ‘you can’t have rainbows without a little rain’, the saying applies for us too, as it’s rare that we can have snow without wind.

While wind often signals the arrival of snowstorms and fresh powder, it can also pose challenges. We understand that wind can sometimes overstay its welcome, but unfortunately, we can’t control the weather. The safety of our guests and staff is paramount at Perisher. On windy or blizzardy days, chairlifts may go on and off wind hold depending on conditions. We recommend staying informed by checking our Snow Report and Lift Status and downloading the Perisher App for live updates. You can opt into operation-specific communications from our team by selecting the following categories:

Snow & Weather
Lift & Operations

How We Decide to Put Chairs on Wind Hold

Perisher is known for its fleet of T-Bars, and there's a good reason for that. Situated 1,720m above sea level, Perisher experiences significant wind gusts. While T-Bars operate at surface level and are less affected by wind, chairlifts are more exposed to high winds.

Perisher utilises the most up-to-date wind speed and direction sensors located on our chairlifts to provide real-time and trending data on wind conditions for each chairlift across the resort. This data is fed live to our mountain operations team and displayed on screens to constantly monitor and assess current conditions, ensuring a safe operational environment. In addition to in-resort data, we monitor incoming weather through various live online weather sites, including radar and satellite images, as well as weather data such as temperatures, precipitation, and wind speeds from surrounding BOM automated weather stations. This holistic view helps determine our decision-making when putting lifts on wind hold.

Every chairlift is designed to handle wind from different directions and varying strengths. For example, the Village 8 is located lower down the mountain and offers more shelter from the wind compared to the higher Quad Express. On windy days, areas like Smiggin Holes, which are more sheltered, are recommended. Our experienced Mountain team makes the call to put a lift on hold if it’s unsafe for guests to ride and staff to operate.

Where Has the Wind Come From?

As we move further into winter, temperatures drop, and cold fronts bring snowstorms and strong winds. This is why not every day can be a bluebird day. Windy conditions often accompany snowfall, which helps build excellent terrain for the season ahead.

Plan Ahead on Windy Days

Be prepared. Our morning report will tell you if it's going to be windy up here. This weekend we are expecting weather to be particularly windy (and bringing with it lost of snow). You can stay updated on lift status and operations by downloading the Perisher app and turning on notifications. The app is the best place for live operational updates. So, grab your buffs, high-vis goggles, find a T-Bar buddy and brave the wind together!

Groms riding a T-Bar