Heavy snowfalls herald prospect of early skiing

The Stratford Mountain Club on the slopes of Mt Taranaki may open for business as early as tomorrow following exceptional early-season snowfalls. Photo / Kenny Rodger

While commercial skifield operators talk about the prospect of starting the season as early as next month, Taranaki's club field plans to get on with it tomorrow.

If the weather clears, Manganui Ski Field on Mt Taranaki could be the first to open this winter.

Ski-field operators the length of the country are rubbing their hands together at the exceptionally early and heavy snowfalls which have arrived in the past fortnight.

Mt Taranaki had a snow base of up to 50cm, enough for the Stratford Mountain Club to open the lower and learner's slopes and t-bar as early as tomorrow, said club safety services convener Todd Cations-Velvin.

"We get a light dusting of snow around this time of year but it's just that there is quite a bit. It has definitely come in a lot heavier for this time of year," he told the Taranaki Daily News.

With heavy snowfalls sweeping across the South Island at the weekend, operators were looking at what was involved in bringing forward their planned season opening dates.

In Canterbury, snow packing and avalanche-control work was already under way at Porters Heights.

General manager Uli Dinsenbacher said there was 40cm of snow in the car park and 1.5 metres at the top of the mountain.

The skifield is looking at opening on June 26.

Mr Dinsenbacher said it was 20 years since he had last seen such conditions in May.

He was confident the snow would stay.

"It's pretty hard to melt over a metre of snow and we're getting cold nights, and that will keep the snow there," he told The Press.

Mt Hutt has a base of 110cm after more than 170cm of snow fell over the past 10 days.

Assistant ski area manager James McKenzie said they would know tomorrow whether it was feasible to open, after considering health and safety and logistical issues.

The field had planned to open on June 13.

In Central Otago, both Cardrona and Treble Cone have 30cm bases on the upper runs, while Coronet Peak and The Remarkables have bases of more than 50cm.

Coronet Peak ski area manager Hamish McCrostie said snowmaking was due to start about May 25.

The Remarkables ski area manager Ross Lawrence said some "keen, local freestyle skiers" had taken advantage of the snow over the weekend.

- NZPA