NZSki Ltd intended to host an International Day at the base building, where staff members and skiers would dress up in traditional cultural costumes and sample a variety of cuisines.
However, chief executive James Coddington said the weather deteriorated after 7am and made the chairlifts unusable. The decision to close was made before 8am and only a few skiers had made the trek up the peak by that point, he said.
"It's disappointing to not have our final day but it's not a dampener on a very successful season. Some staff were ready to go but they appreciate these things happen in the mountains."
Coronet Peak was affected by a power cut yesterday morning but the resort had back-up generators, he said.
Australians booked to ski late in the season at Coronet Peak will be disappointed but would simply ski elsewhere in the Lakes district or New Zealand, transtasman ski holiday operators said.
Value Tours and Newmans Holidays and Ski Express representatives said they had been notified of Coronet Peak's closure last Tuesday, the day before the public announcement.
Value Tours marketing executive Michael Grierson, of Sydney, said ski lift passes booked by Value Tours' Australian clients were valid for 21 ski resorts in New Zealand.
Although Queenstown slopes were the most requested, Coronet Peak's closure would not affect the company that much, he said.
"You get the odd few who had their heart set on skiing at Coronet Peak but, generally, most of our customers will go ahead with their ski holiday and have just as much enjoyment."
Coronet Peak's last day this season was two weeks earlier than anticipated. Ski area manager Hamish McCrostie said spring was warming up.
Mr Grierson said he would not disclose figures but last year was "massive" in terms of bookings to Queenstown.
This year had seen a small decline, "but that's more down to the economy here, rather than the destination".
Queenstown skifields "continue to be great products; not as crowded or expensive as Australia's".
Newmans Holidays and Ski Express marketing and product manager Jason Williams, of Melbourne, said Coronet's closure would not affect too many clients.
"There's only 50 to 60 customers travelling to Queenstown from now until the traditional closing date of early October.
"I'd assume they'll ski The Remarkables.
"It's obviously disappointing and a little confusing for customers why [Coronet] should close when they're still reporting a 75cm base and a last snowfall of 3cm on their website [on Friday]."
Mr Williams said the demand for Queenstown slopes from Newmans Holidays and Ski Express' Australian customers had been average, compared with past seasons.
Resorts in Victoria and New South Wales had huge seasons with reports of up to 2.5m of snow, which would have a massive impact on Queenstown sales.
Destination Queenstown chief executive David Kennedy said conditions would always dictate closing dates and every season was different.
The number of Australians chasing snow in Wakatipu was up 30% last year and the regional tourism organisation did not have high expectations of a major rise due to that earlier increase, and the high-performing winter season across the Tasman.
"The general feeling is we had a good season with a strong July and August.
"September was more of a challenge and tends to be a late-booking month, a discretionary decision [to ski here].
"The Australians had a very slow start to their winter season followed by a strong season themselves, which affected some of our late bookings."
Mr Kennedy said Commercial Accommodation Monitor figures released in mid-November would give some indication of how Queenstown fared during the winter season.
