Mount Hotham is a mountain located in the Victorian Alps of the

Great Dividing Range The Great Dividing Range, also known as the East Australian Cordillera or the Eastern Highlands, is a cordillera system in eastern Australia consisting of an expansive collection of mountain ranges, plateaus and rolling hills, that runs rough ...

, in the

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

n state of Victoria. The mountain is located approximately north east of

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metro ...

, from

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mounta ...

, and from

Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...

by road. The nearest major road to the mountain is the Great Alpine Road. The mountain is named after Charles Hotham, Governor of Victoria from 1854 to 1855. Mount Hotham's summit rises to an altitude of Mount Hotham Alpine Resort, a commercial alpine resort, is located on the slopes of Mount Hotham summit and nearby mountains. Administratively, the mountain is within Mount Hotham Alpine Resort

unincorporated area An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either hav ...

, land which is managed by Alpine Resorts Victoria. This unincorporated area is surrounded by

Alpine Shire The Alpine Shire is a local government area in the Hume region of Victoria, Australia, located in the north-east part of the state. It covers an area of and in 2022 had a population of 13,235. It includes the towns of Bright, Dinner Plain, ...

Climate

As with most of the

Australian Alps The Australian Alps is a mountain range in southeast Australia. It comprises an interim Australian bioregion,0042-5184 However, the moth has also been a biovector of arsenic, transporting it from lowland feeding sites over long distances int ...

, Mount Hotham's climate is, compared to the bulk of

, cold throughout the year; with particularly cold maximum temperatures, and Mount Hotham is one of very few areas in Australia that frequently records maximum temperatures below

freezing Freezing is a phase transition where a liquid turns into a solid when its temperature is lowered below its freezing point. In accordance with the internationally established definition, freezing means the solidification phase change of a liquid ...

. Mount Hotham is also one of the only places in Australia to have never recorded a temperature above ; during the early 2009 southeastern Australia heat wave, whilst most of the state sweltered above , the mountain's peak temperature was a mild .

Snowfall Snow comprises individual ice crystals that grow while suspended in the atmosphere—usually within clouds—and then fall, accumulating on the ground where they undergo further changes. It consists of frozen crystalline water throughout ...

occurs frequently and heavily, and sub-freezing maximum temperatures can be recorded throughout the year—even at the height of summer. Mount Hotham receives an average of 66.1 snowy days annually. Owing to its short, cool summers and long, very cold winters, Mount Hotham yields a

Subantarctic climate The subarctic climate (also called subpolar climate, or boreal climate) is a climate with long, cold (often very cold) winters, and short, warm to cool summers. It is found on large landmasses, often away from the moderating effects of an ocean, ge ...

(''Dfc'') bordering on

Tundra In physical geography, tundra () is a type of biome where tree growth is hindered by frigid temperatures and short growing seasons. The term ''tundra'' comes through Russian (') from the Kildin Sámi word (') meaning "uplands", "treeless mou ...

(''ET'').

Visiting in winter

During the declared snow season (usually from the Queen's Birthday long weekend in June till the first weekend in October), it is a legal requirement to carr
diamond pattern wheel chains
and fit them if directed. There are penalties for not doing so. The steep and exposed portions of the Great Alpine Road between Harrietville and Hotham Heights means that in some conditions, vehicles (particularly two wheel drive vehicles) are not able to travel safely without these wheel chains. Visitors also need to purchase
Resort Entry permit
to enter the resort during winter. The resort entry fee contributes to essential services for guests around the mountain, including ski patrol, the free village buses, snow clearing of car parks in the village, waste management and environmental initiatives.

Gallery

References

External links

Mt Hotham official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hotham, Mount Mountains of Victoria (Australia) Victorian Alps Unincorporated areas of Victoria (Australia)

Climate

Visiting in winter

Gallery

See also

References

External links