Heavy snow brings smiles to the slopes

By STACEY BODGER

MT RUAPEHU - North Island skifields are preparing for their best season openings in six years after a southerly front dumped heavy snowfalls on the slopes.

Whakapapa staff were overjoyed after several weekend falls and a big one on Monday night left 70cm of snow on the upper sections of Mt Ruapehu.

Another cold front forecast for the next few days is expected to bring at least two more snowfalls before the weekend, a week before Whakapapa's opening on June 23.

"It's shaping up to be an epic season - probably even better than 1994, which was the last great season before our run of bad ones," said Whakapapa marketing manager Mike Smith.

Since then, two of the seasons have been disrupted by Ruapehu's erupting and others by light snowfalls and warm conditions.

The chilly temperatures since the weekend are especially good news because they enable the skifield operators to run new snowmaking equipment.

Snowmakers are used to boost what nature supplies, but can operate only when the temperature is low enough to freeze the water they spray, turning it into snow.

By yesterday, Whakapapa's snowmaker had been running for more than 40 hours this week, and staff hoped to better their 1998 record of 72 hours.

High winds were also helping, churning up the natural snow and filling in gullies which the snowmaker could not reach.

Mr Smith hoped snowfalls over the next week would leave between 80cm and 100cm on the upper slopes for opening day.

Turoa marketing manager Vanessa Thomas said the southwest-facing skifield had benefited from the southerly snowfalls and had around 50cm on the upper slopes and 20cm on the lower ones.

"We're telling all the skiers and snowboarders who are calling to dust off their gear and get ready - it's going to be the best season in a long, long time," she said.

Turoa was hoping to open next Friday - its earliest opening in four years - but wanted one more dusting of snow to ensure perfect conditions.

Ice and sleet from the southerly front made driving treacherous on central North Island roads yesterday. The Desert Rd was closed until 2.30 pm, and the Napier-Taupo highway was closed until 9 am after two trucks became stuck in ice.