Ice Inline chairman Graham McNabb said the "chiller" would be switched on this weekend and it was hoped ice-making could start next week.
It is expected that the Naseby luge will open on Queen's Birthday weekend but that is "100% weather dependent", New Zealand Olympic Luge Association Inc president Geoff Balme said.
"We need a run of good frosts and cold days."
National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research senior climate scientist Georgina Griffiths said the outlook for Central Otago for May, June and July was "pretty standard" but they were expecting slightly more highs than usual, resulting in more frosts.
She said it would probably get cold in about a week and if there was a high after that, there should be some good frosts.
Mr McNabb said preparations at the ice rink had begun about the same time last year, when there had been no frosts, but hopes were for a good couple of frosts next week to make the job easier and cheaper.
Ten floodlights have been installed at the Naseby luge from just above the halfway start, allowing the track to be used at night.
Mr Balme said it was hoped to have the luge open on Friday and Saturday nights until about 9pm, effectively giving the increasingly popular luge another operating day.
"We were finding that public use was generally at the weekends and we were finding the demand to be quite high."
Coach Guntis Rekis is returning for his third season at the luge after spending the northern hemisphere winter working with junior lugers in Canada.
He will be joined at the luge and ice camps by Italian Patrick Pigneter, who has won many world luge titles, including the World Cup Singles championship seven years in a row.
Mr Balme said they were "absolutely excited" to have Mr Pigneter joining the team as he was "probably one of the most successful natural luge racers ever".
Planning is also well under way for the Naseby Ice Festival, to be held on Saturday July 8; the three Naseby cup races, to be held on July 7, July 14 and July 29; the New Zealand Championship, to be held on August 11, and the Oceania Championship, to be held on August 26.
Mr McNabb said the Ice Inline team was still working on an energy-sharing proposal with the Molyneux Aquatic Centre which could eventually save tens of thousands of dollars, but that was now "in the hands" of the council.
The proposal was meant to be tabled at a Vincent Community Board meeting in March, but was taken off the agenda as it was not ready in time.
Council property and facilities manager Mike Kerr said he was still working on the proposal and report to the board and expected to table it at the board's June meeting.
