Cold, snowy Easter points to good season

By STACEY BODGER

The season's first major snowfall has raised North Island ski operators' hopes that forecasts of a cold, snowy winter are true.

Snow started falling on Mt Ruapehu about 5 pm on Monday and continued to fall late yesterday afternoon, leaving a base of at least 20cm on the upper mountain and 10cm on the Whakapapa beginners' slopes.

An early winter forecast by MetService last month predicted that the La Nina weather pattern, which had caused mild temperatures and low snowfall for several seasons, should have receded by the end of June.

Whakapapa's marketing manager, Mike Smith, said temperatures had been noticeably colder than last year and had dropped considerably during Easter.

It had been about 3 to 4 degrees at Whakapapa Village over the weekend and yesterday and was at freezing on the skifield.

Mr Smith said the forecast was for temperatures to sink even lower as an approaching front brought heavier snow. "Of course it's early days yet but things are looking so much better than the past few years - we've all got our fingers crossed."

Whakapapa is due to open on June 23 but will open earlier if the heavy falls continue.

The ski area has sent out more than 20,000 applications for season passes after its announcement of a reduced $199 deal.

A spokeswoman at the Turoa skifield, also due to open on June 23, said snow fell all day yesterday and the base was 15cm.