There’s nothing like gliding down a snow-covered slope.

That’s if you ask the thousands of people that make an annual pilgrimage to our alpine resorts during the Australian winter.

But this year, the start to the snow season has been far from spectacular.

While there is still some way to go before the typical peak of the season in mid- to late August, maximum snow depths have declined by around 30% since the middle of last century.

Given the underwhelming start to the season, many ski resorts are struggling to attract visitors and keep their lifts running. It’s also affecting local businesses, alpine communities and parents who hoped a school holiday skiing trip would keep their kids occupied.

So why is there so little snow this year? And what does it mean?

What shapes our snow season?

There are four main climate drivers that shape Australia’s alpine weather – including whether we get a good or bad snow season.

1. El Niño or La Niña

El Niño and La Niña refer to naturally occurring variations in temperature and winds over the Pacific Ocean that can influence weather around the world.

In Australia, El Niño years typically bring drier and warmer weather. In the eastern half of the country, this translates to below-average rainfall and........

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