KEY POINTS:
Smaller skifields in the South Island are struggling with one of the worst starts to the season in many years.
Although snow cover remains good on Mt Ruapehu in the North Island, smaller fields further south remain closed and the slopes are bare, in contrast to last winter's bumper season.
Canterbury's two main commercial fields, Mt Hutt and Porters Ski Area, are getting by on artificial snow.
Porters Ski Area general manager Uli Dinsenbacher said there had been few snowfalls in July and those had not been more than 5cm.
It was "the driest season in the last 10 years", he said.
However, cold temperatures and a lack of wind had meant that fields equipped with snow-making machines had been able to create enough artificial snow to open.
"Without the snow-makers we wouldn't be open. We usually get a really big dump in August," Mr Dinsenbacher said.
"If we don't get something by the middle of August it's time to start panicking."
Compounding the problem, three days of warm norwest conditions at the end of last week "defrosted" what little base the Canterbury club fields had, and opening-day projections are being moved further into August.
Staff are languishing and bookings have been cancelled.
Otago and North Island ski fields are getting by, with an average base of one metre or less, while Australia is having one of its best seasons.
This time last year, most New Zealand fields had bases of up to 3m, while Australian skiers had little at home, flying here in record numbers to take advantage of our conditions.
Canterbury's Mt Olympus Ski Club vice-captain Thomas Stephens said though he had seen worse years in his 27 years at the club, 2007 ranked "in the top four" for low snowfall years.
The club's first two August bookings had been cancelled after the recent warm days "defrosted" the area.
Fresh snow fell overnight on Monday at some southern fields desperate for a top-up.
- NZPA
